The Shoulder Sleeve Insignia worn by U.S. Army personnel serving as part of the Joint Military Military Command was approved on 27 April 1989. Its maroon and white tones signify its status as part of the U.S. Army Medical Department, while the red cross, a longtime symbol of aid and medical assistance, represents the mission of the unit.
In heraldry, stars often denote Command status; here, the white star signifies that the unit is the first Joint Medical Command while also alluding to its location in the state of Texas. The flaming torch and wings reflect the unit’s assignment to Air Training Command while also symbolizing training and mobility. symbolize training and mobility.
The history of the first Joint Military Medical Command goes back to 1946 and the selection of Fort Sam Houston as the new location for the U.S. Army Medical Field Service School, which led to the renaming of Brooke General Hospital to Brooke Army Medical Center.In 1987, Brooke Army Medical Center and U.S. Army Dental Activity were transferred from under the U.S. Army Health Services Command to HQ, San Antonio Joint Military Medical Command, a bi-service U.S. Army Forces Command responsible for DOD health-care services and Graduate Medical Education in the San Antonio area.
In 2011, the Center’s inpatient system began to accept patients that would previously have been treated at the U.S. Air Force’s Wilford Hall after it had been redesignated as the Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, which led to the Center’s redesignation as the San Antonio Military Medical Center, or SAMMC, the first Joint Medical Command in the U.S. military.
On 1 October 2011, San Antonio Military Medical Center was redesignated as Brooke Army Medical Center.
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