The 59th Medical Wing (MDW) is the U.S. Air Force's largest medical

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is exp ...

and is the

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ar ...

functional medical command for

Joint Base San Antonio Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) is a United States military facility located in San Antonio, Texas, USA. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 502d Air Base Wing, Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The win ...

(JBSA). It comprises seven medical groups across

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

. Three are located at the Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center (WHASC); the 959th Medical Group is located at San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC), JBSA-Fort Sam Houston; the 59th Training Group - the wing's newest group, activated on 4 January 2016, is also located at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston. The 359th and 559th Medical Groups are located at and support the missions of JBSA-Randolph and JBSA-Lackland, respectively.59th Medical Wing Public Affairs, 2014 The 59th MDW operates with a $271 million budget, and a staff of 8,000 military, civilian, and contract personnel. The 59th MDW is home to the Critical Care Air Transport Team Pilot Unit (CCATT), which has executive management over 118 active-duty, Guard and Reserve teams. The wing also has the Defense Department's largest Blood Donor Center, a Warfighter Refractive Surgery Center, and Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) capability. The ECLS offers the only global transport option in the world, providing partial heart-lung bypass to eligible adults, infants, and children suffering from severe cardiopulmonary failure. The medical wing also has the largest dental facility in the DOD and the only dental group in the Air Force. The 59th Dental Group examines approximately 36,000 basic military trainees and 28,000 technical training students a year. It has the only

stereolithography Stereolithography (SLA or SL; also known as vat photopolymerisation, optical fabrication, photo-solidification, or resin printing) is a form of 3D printing technology used for creating models, prototypes, patterns, and production parts in a la ...

and modeling lab in the Air Force, which produces dimensionally-accurate medical models and craniofacial prostheses. This capability provides rehabilitative support to patients with acquired or congenital defects of the head and neck region.

Healthcare

The 59th MDW provides medical care at various facilities in San Antonio. Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center is the Air Force's largest outpatient facility, providing a full range of primary care, specialty care, and outpatient surgery. At SAMMC, the DOD's largest inpatient medical facility, nearly 2,000 59th MDW personnel work with Army medics in areas such as the bone marrow transplant center, the burn unit, and other rare and complex treatment environments. The wing's highly specialized trauma surgeons, along with their Army counterparts, staff the Defense Department's only Joint Level 1 Trauma Center in the United States.

Readiness

59_MDW_Critical_Care_Air_Transport_Teams

Most of the wing's military personnel are assigned to one of several teams, which act as building blocks to form Expeditionary Medical Support hospitals and a number of specialized units, to include Critical Care Air Transport Teams. The wing has the largest medical mobility commitment in the U.S. Air Force and maintains approximately 2,950 mobility positions. At any one time, there are about 200 medics deployed worldwide, executing a joint U.S. mission in support of global operations. Additionally, the 59th Medical Wing oversees deployments for all Air Force medical assets assigned within JBSA. Outreach teams are regularly dispatched all over the globe to respond to emergencies, assist in Department of Defense contingency missions, and reinforce readiness training through real-world civil and humanitarian assistance missions.

Education

The wing's postgraduate medical education function is merged with that of

Brooke Army Medical Center Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) is the United States Army's premier medical institution. Located on Fort Sam Houston, BAMC, a 425-bed Academic Medical Center, is the Department of Defense's largest facility and only Level 1 Trauma Center. BAMC ...

under the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium (SAUSHEC). The two facilities, in close cooperation with the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA), provide a wide array of training programs ranging from general surgery to emergency medical services administration. At any given time, SAUSHEC has roughly 600 residents enrolled in 37 graduate medical education (GME) programs, of which 60 percent are Air Force. There are an additional 22 programs for our Allied Health members, including: Psychology Internship; Health Psychology Fellow; Dietetic; Pharmacy Clinical; Pastoral Education; General Surgery Physician Assistant (PA); Emergency Medicine PA; Otolaryngology PA and Audiology. The wing's training group supports military medical service and medical readiness training at the Medical Education and Training Campus on JBSA-Fort Sam Houston for 12,100 students annually, and at two operating locations, one detachment and 17 sites around the world. The 59th Training Group's partnership with METC affords training for the five uniformed services and international students. The group awards 24 Air Force specialty codes and 93,037 Community College of the Air Force credit hours annually while maintaining 14 national accreditations.

Training

In addition to the GME program, the 59th MDW is the largest of 15 clinical training sites in the Air Force, graduating an average of 500 officer and enlisted students in various dental and allied health programs each year. Additional training includes the Sustainment Training to Advance Readiness Skills (STARS) program, refresher trauma training and courses for specialized surgical and critical care teams. The 59th MDW has the largest DOD dental education mission, providing 85 percent of the Air Force's total dental training capacity.

Research

59MDW OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST The Chief Scientist provides senior leadership and develops high-level collaborations between Service, Department of Defense, local, national and international government, academia and industry, research, development, test, evaluation and acquisition organizations. The Chief Scientist oversees and manages a dynamic portfolio to meet organizational needs, while leveraging partnerships to develop tailored investments that advance state of the art solutions for world class precision medical care with an emphasis on mission aligned research in En Route Care, Trauma, Resuscitation and Stabilization; Diagnostics, Therapeutics and 'Omics; Modeling Simulation Training; Clinical Rehabilitative Medicine; and Clinical Investigations. This specialized expertise enables researchers to exploit new knowledge while developing, evaluating, and integrating applications of innovative technologies to provide the very best patient-centered care in the pre-hospital, in- and -out-patient environment, maintaining and restoring warfighter and beneficiary health, and building warrior medics to address present and future mission challenges. The ST office supports clinical researchers at over 70 sites worldwide. The Wing Chief Scientist is also the Authorized Institutional Official charged with the responsibility for the protection of human research subjects participating in research. Research Directorates under the Chief Scientist include: * Trauma & Clinical Care Research Program (TCCR) * Diagnostics & Therapeutics Program (D&T) * Clinical Investigations & Research Support (CIRS) * Nursing Research – Center for Clinical Inquiry (C2I) * Health Services Research * Technology Transition & Transfer/Office of Research and Technology Applications (ORTA) The Chief Scientist's office also works with liaisons in the 59th Medical Wing to include for supporting Graduate Dental Education and Dental research at the Air Force Post-Graduate Dental School and Clinic, and the Dental Research and Consultative Service.

Collaboration

As members of a strong inter-service team, the 59th Medical Wing is also dedicated to building partnerships with community organizations such as the Veterans Affairs Audie Murphy Hospital, University of Texas Health Science Center, Humana Military Healthcare Services,

University Health System University Health is the public hospital district for the San Antonio, Texas, US metropolitan area. Owned and operated by Bexar County, it is the third largest public health system in Texas. The system operates University Hospital, a 716-bed teach ...

, and the Mayor's Fitness Council.

Subordinate units

59th Dental Group * 59th Dental Squadron * 59th Dental Support Squadron * 59th Dental Training Squadron 59th Medical Operations Group * 59th Medical Support Squadron * 59th Medical Operations Squadron * 59th Surgical Operations Squadron * 59th Mental Health Squadron * 59th Radiology Squadron * 59th Surgical Specialty Squadron * 59th Diagnostics and Therapeutics Squadron * 59th Laboratory Squadron * 59th Pharmacy Squadron 59th Medical Support Group * 59th Medical Support Squadron * 59th Medical Logistics and Readiness Squadron 359th Medical Group (former 12th) at JBSA-Randolph * 359th Aerospace Medicine Squadron * 359th Dental Squadron * 359th Medical Operations Squadron * 359th Medical Support Squadron 559th Medical Group (former 37th) at JBSA-Lackland * 559th Aerospace Medicine Squadron * 559th Medical Operations Squadron 959th Medical Group (former 59th Inpatient Operations Group) at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston * 959th Medical Operations Squadron * 959th Inpatient Operations Squadron * 959th Clinical Support Squadron 59th Training Group * 381st Training Squadron * 382nd Training Squadron * 383rd Training Squadron * 59th Training Support Squadron Clinical Departments * Anesthesiology * Audiology * Cardiology * Otorhinolaryngology * General Surgery * Neurosurgery * Ophthalmology * Refractive Surgery * Pediatrics * Plastic Surgery * Speech Pathology * Urology * Vascular Surgery * Emergency Medicine * Orthopedics * Podiatry * Occupational Therapy * Physical Medicine * Allergy-Immunology * Cardiothoracic Surgery * Dermatology * Endocrinology * Gastroenterology * Hematology-Oncology * Infectious Disease * Internal Medicine * Nephrology * Neurology * Pulmonary * Rheumatology * Mental Health * Psychiatry * Psychology * Neonatology * Obstetrics * Gynecology * Radiology * Pathology * Pharmacy * Hyperbaric Medicine * Nutritional Medicine * General Dentistry * Endodontic * Oral-Maxillofacial * Orthodontics * Periodontics * Prosthodontics * Aerospace Medicine * Preventative Medicine * Trainee Health Non-Clinical Departments *Family Advocacy *Health and Wellness Center (HAWC) *

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations The Joint Commission is a United States-based nonprofit tax-exempt 501(c) organization that accredits more than 22,000 US health care organizations and programs. The international branch accredits medical services from around the world. A majori ...

(JCAHO) *Team HELP *Office of the Chief Scientist

History

World War II

The 59th Observation Group was established at Newark Airport, New Jersey, in 1941. It moved to

Fort Dix Army Air Base A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

, New Jersey, later in the year. Following the US entry into

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

the Group engaged in

antisubmarine An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapo ...

patrols along the East coast of the United States from December 1941 – October 1943. Initially during 1941–42 the Group operated a wide range of aircraft, including the BC-1A, L-59,

O-46 The Douglas O-46 was an observation aircraft used by the United States Army Air Corps and the Philippine Army Air Corps.

O-47 The North American O-47 is an American observation fixed-wing aircraft monoplane designed in the mid-1930s and used by the United States Army Air Corps during the Second World War. It has a low-wing configuration, retractable landing gear, and a t ...

, O-49 Vigilant, and O-52 Owl During 1943 and 1944 the group trained pilots using

P-39 Airacobra The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by the ...

aircraft and later, in 1944, the

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and ...

as well. The unit was redesignated the 59th Reconnaissance Group on 2 April 1943, and again as the 59th Fighter Group on 11 August 1943. The 59th was disbanded on 1 May 1944. On 31 July 1985, the unit was redesignated the 59th Tactical Fighter Wing, but remained inactive. Finally, it was reactivated and consolidated with the Wilford Hall U.S. Air Force Hospital on 1 July 1993.

Lackland Air Force Base medical unit

During the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top: ...

, the 3700th Medical Squadron developed a program to train basic trainees as medical corpsmen to ease shortage of medical personnel. Wilford Hall Medical Center as most people know it today came about during this time. With many Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines returning from the conflict needing medical attention, plans were drawn up to construct a new and larger medical facility which opened in 1957. It was in this first facility, most of which remains today, that the hospital participated in the first of what would become a long list of highlights of medicine, providing medical support to NASA's project Mercury. From 1983, Wilford Hall offered centralized

outpatient A patient is any recipient of health care services that are performed by healthcare professionals. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, nurse, optometrist, dentist, veterinarian, or other health c ...

care, a

clinical investigation Pulsus Group is a health informatics and digital marketing company and publisher of scientific, technical, and medical literature. It was formed in 1984, primarily to publish peer-reviewed medical journals. , Pulsus published 98 hybrid and full ...

facility, the Air Force's largest

dispensary A dispensary is an office in a school, hospital, industrial plant, or other organization that dispenses medications, medical supplies, and in some cases even medical and dental treatment. In a traditional dispensary set-up, a pharmacist dispense ...

system, and the only

eye bank Eye banks recover, prepare and deliver donated eyes for cornea transplants and research. The first successful cornea transplant was performed in 1905 and the first eye bank was founded in 1944. Currently, in the United States, eye banks provide ti ...

and

organ transplant Organ transplantation is a medical procedure in which an organ (anatomy), organ is removed from one body and placed in the body of a recipient, to replace a damaged or missing organ. The donor and recipient may be at the same location, or organ ...

centers. The hospital accomplished important research work in

neonatal An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used t ...

medicine,

surgical Surgery ''cheirourgikē'' (composed of χείρ, "hand", and ἔργον, "work"), via la, chirurgiae, meaning "hand work". is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a person to investigate or treat a pa ...

transplants,

orthopedic surgery Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternatively spelt orthopaedics), is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...

rheumatology Rheumatology (Greek ''ῥεῦμα'', ''rheûma'', flowing current) is a branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis and management of disorders whose common feature is inflammation in the bones, muscles, joints, and internal organs. Rheumatolog ...

immunology Immunology is a branch of medicineImmunology for Medical Students, Roderick Nairn, Matthew Helbert, Mosby, 2007 and biology that covers the medical study of immune systems in humans, animals, plants and sapient species. In such we can see ther ...

, and maxillofacial surgery. Clinical investigations research kept the wing at the forefront of development of

high-frequency ventilation High-frequency ventilation is a type of mechanical ventilation which utilizes a respiratory rate greater than four times the normal value. (>150 (Vf) breaths per minute) and very small tidal volumes. High frequency ventilation is thought to reduce ...

and extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation; new techniques for the care of premature infants; improved cancer treatments;

bone A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, an ...

banking and transplantation;

laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The firs ...

photocoagulation; and

acquired immune deficiency syndrome Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

(AIDS). In December 1989, it provided medical support to casualties returning from

operations Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...

in Panama. From 4 January to 21 March 1991 Wilford Hall deployed over 900 personnel to RAF Little Rissington, England, to establish a 1500-bed hospital in support of expected casualties from the

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...

. In 1993 the Medical Center was redesignated the 59th Medical Wing, taking the lineage of the never-active 59th Tactical Fighter Wing.

Closure and realignment

New_Wilford_Hall_Ambulatory_Surgical_Center

On 15 September 2011, the Wilford Hall Medical Center was officially renamed to the Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, becoming the largest outpatient surgical center in the Air Force. Inpatient services are no longer provided at JBSA-Lackland, formerly Lackland Air Force Base, but are centralized at nearby San Antonio Military Medical Center – formerly known as Brooke Army Medical Center, or BAMC, at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Both facilities and all other military treatment facilities in the San Antonio area fall under the San Antonio Military Healthcare System (SAMHS). Construction is underway on a new 680,000 square-foot facility, which will be located adjacent to the existing building. 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs

Lineage

59th Tactical Fighter Wing * Established as the 59th Observation Group on 21 August 1941 : Activated on 1 September 1941 : Inactivated on 18 October 1942 * Activated on 1 March 1943 : Redesignated as 59th Reconnaissance Group on 2 April 1943 : Redesignated as 59th Fighter Group on 11 August 1943 : Disestablished on 1 May 1944 * Redesignated 59th Tactical Fighter Wing on 31 July 1985, but remained inactive * Consolidated with Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center on 1 July 1993 59th Medical Wing * Designated as the 3700th Medical Squadron on 25 August 1948 : Organized on 26 August 1948 : Redesignated 3700th Station Medical Squadron on 1 November 1948 : Redesignated 3700th Medical Group on 27 June 1950 : Redesignated 3700th USAF Hospital on 16 October 1953 : Redesignated USAF Hospital, Lackland on 1 July 1958 : Redesignated Wilford Hall USAF Hospital on 2 March 1963 : Redesignated Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center on 1 July 1969 * Consolidated with the 59th Tactical Fighter Wing as 59th Medical Wing on 1 July 1993

Assignments

* I Air Support Command (later, I Ground Air Support Command), 1 September 1941 *

First Air Force The First Air Force (Air Forces Northern; 1 AF-AFNORTH) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC). It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Its primary mission is the air defense of the Cont ...

, 21 August – 18 October 1942 *

Third Air Force The Third Air Force (Air Forces Europe) (3 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). Its headquarters is Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It is responsible for all U.S. air forces in E ...

, 1 March 1943 *

III Fighter Command The III Fighter Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was at MacDill Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 8 April 1946. History Background GHQ Air Force (GHQ,AF) had been established with two major comba ...

, by September 1943-1 May 1944 * 3700th Basic Training Wing, 26 August 1948 * Indoctrination Division, Air Training Command, 22 April 1949 * 3700th AF Indoctrination Wing (later, 3700th Military Training Wing; Lackland Military Training Center), 28 October 1948 * USAF Aerospace Medical Center, 1 October 1959 (attached to Aerospace Medical Division after 1 November 1961) * Aerospace Medical Division, 15 April 1962 *

Air Training Command Air Training Command (ATC) is a former United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command designation. It was headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, but was initially formed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It was re-designated as A ...

, 15 January 1987 * San Antonio Joint Military Medical Command, 16 February 1987 * Air Training Command (later, Air Education and Training Command), 1 October 1991 – present

Components

* 9th Observation Squadron (later 9th Reconnaissance Squadron, 488th Fighter Squadron): 29 March 1942 – 18 October 1942; 1 March 1943 – 1 May 1944 *

103d Observation Squadron The 103rd Attack Squadron (103 ATKS) is an active unit of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard previously known as the 103rd Fighter Squadron (103 FS). It is assigned to the 111th Attack Wing, stationed at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Wil ...

: 1 September 1941 – 18 October 1942 * 104th Observation Squadron (later 104th Reconnaissance Squadron, 489th Fighter Squadron): 1 September 1941 – 18 October 1942; 1 March 1943 – 1 May 1944 *

119th Observation Squadron The 119th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the New Jersey Air National Guard 177th Fighter Wing located at Atlantic City Air National Guard Base, New Jersey. The 119th is equipped with the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft and is the oldest active fly ...

(later 119th Reconnaissance Squadron, 490th Fighter Squadron): attached December 1941; assigned 1 March 1943 – 1 May 1944 *

126th Observation Squadron The 126th Air Refueling Squadron is a unit of the 128th Air Refueling Wing of the Wisconsin Air National Guard stationed at General Mitchell Air National Guard Base, Wisconsin. The 126th is equipped with the KC-135R Stratotanker. The squadron ...

(later, 126th Reconnaissance Squadron; 34th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron): 1 September 1941 – 18 October 1942; 1 March – 11 August 1943. * 447th Fighter Squadron: 20 November 1943 – 1 May 1944.

Stations

* Newark Airport, New Jersey, 1 September 1941 * Fort Dix Army Air Base, New Jersey, 14 November 1941 – 18 October 1942 * Fort Myers Army Air Field, Florida, 1 March 1943 *

Thomasville Army Air Field Thomasville Regional Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located six nautical miles (7 mi, 11 km) northeast of the central business district of Thomasville, a city in Thomas County, Georgia, United States. It is included ...

, Georgia, c. 30 March 1943 – 1 May 1944 *

Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) is a United States military facility located in San Antonio, Texas, USA. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 502d Air Base Wing, Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The ...

, Texas, 26 August 1948 – present

Aircraft

* BC-1A, 1941–1942 * O-59, 1941–1942 * O-46, 1941–1942 * O-47, 1941–1942 * O-49, 1941–1942 * O-52, 1941–1942 * P-39, 1943–1944 * P-40, 1944.

References

* Maurer Maurer (1983), Air Force Combat Units of World War II, Office of Air Force History.
59th Medical Wing Lineage Fact Sheet59th Medical Wing Fact SheetWilford Hall the Man
*59th Medical Wing Public Affairs, 2014
59th Medical Wing Celebrates 15 Years at Wilford Hall

External links

59th Medical Wing Home PageSan Antonio Military Medical CenterSan Antonio Military Health System
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