The White Falcon - 19.03.1993, Side 2

A View from the top...The Navy Medical Corps
By CAPT Robert D. Hufstader,
Commanding Officer,
U.S. Naval Hospital, Kefiavfk, Iceland
On March 3, the Navy Medical Corps cele-
brated its 165th birthday. This article tells a
little about the Medical Corps, the oldest staff
corps in the Navy.
The Medical Corps really began on De-
cember 3, 1775, when the Continental Navy
ship Alfred was commissioned, with Dr.
Joseph Harrison as Alfred’s surgeon. The
name “Medical Corps” is first mentioned in
an Act of Congress on May 24,1828. React-
ing to demands for better care of Navy men,
Congress established a system of appoint-
ments in the Navy as Surgeon or Assistant
Surgeon. Thus the Medical Corps was bom
as a separate entity.
Previously, physicians’ services had been
contracted by ships’ masters for a specific
cruise. In February 1811, Congress estab-
lished Navy hospitals and, with money col-
lected from sailors themselves, built the first
Naval Hospital in Washington D.C., Further
growth came with the establishment of the
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in 1842. Dr.
William P. Barton was the first Chief of the
Bureau. He had a staff of four, an assistant
surgeon, two clerks and a messenger.
The Navy’s first hospital ship the Red
Rover, was a Civil War sidewheeler captured
by the Union, for the use on inland rivers.
The Medical Corps further grew under Sur-
geon General P.M. Rixey from 1902 to 1910.
He started the first Naval Medical School,
began specialty training for Medical Corps
officer, established the Navy Nurse Corps,
and the first Hospital Corps School.
AsNaval Aviation grew, the Medical Corps
established a course in aviation medicine in
1921, and prior to the start of World War II,
established the Naval School of Aviation
Medicine in Pensacola, Fla. During WWH,
Navy medicine grew from 13,000 to 170,000
men and women. By 1945, there were 56
Naval hospitals, 12 hospital ships, 16 b^j
hospitals, and innumerable dispcnsariB
During Korea and Vietnam Wars, a leanai
Medical Corps met unique challenges, serv-
ing in-country and offshore, in the jungles of
southeast Asia and aboard the hospital ships
USS Repose and USS Sanctuary. More re-
cently, in Operation Desert Shield/Storm, in
Somalia, in Cuba with Haitian refugees,
indeed, wherever the need arises, the Medi-
cal Corps serves an expanded role aboard
ships, with the Marines, in tent hospitals and
aboard the Navy’s newest hospital ships, the
USNS Comfort and USNS Mercy.
Today’s Medical Corps employs technol-
ogy and knowledge that was undreamed of
aboard the Alfred, but the goal is the same as
it was in 1775: to care for our country’s
servicemen and their families, wherever
around the world they may go in defense of
our nation.
Happy Birthday, Medical Corps!
U.S. Marine dies in shooting incident
A U.S. Marine was killed in a shooting incident while observing watch change over
procedures on late Saturday, March 13, at the U.S. Naval Air Station Kefiavfk, Iceland.
The 19-year-old Marine, assigned to Marine Corps Security ForceComp any, Kefiavfk,
was observing watch procedures at the Marine Barracks as an on looker in the course of
being indoctrinated to the watch when a single 9 mm. round discharged from a pistol held
by another Marine. The shooting incident occurred at 11:55 p.m. resulting in a head
wound.
Medical personnel responded immediately from the U.S. Naval Hospital, Kefiavfk.
An ambulance arrived within minutes and transported the Marine to the emergency room
of the hospital where the Marine never regained consciousness and was pronounced
dead at 12:49 a.m. Sunday, March 14, 1993.
A full investigation is underway by the resident officer in charge, Naval Investigative
Service, Kefiavfk.
The name of the Marine is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
With sincere thanks
During our lives, we face unex-
pected changes. On January 13,
1993, my wife, son and I were
faced with an unexpected change
that will take a lifetime to over-
come and adapt to. God blessed us
with a beautiful son and brother.
Even though his stay was very brief,
he touched our lives forever.
We would like to thank every-
one at the NCTS, NAVFAC and
CAPT Kevin Lover and RADM
Micahel Haskins and the commu-
nity for your support and love.
Thank you for being our family
away from home and may God
bless each and every one of you
and your loved ones.
Sincerely,
Chrystin, Constance and Randall
Cooks
:W
HITE.
F/M
► r-j
Commander, Iceland Defense Force
RADM Michael D. Haskins
Public Affairs Officer
LT Joseph L. Quimby
Deputy Public Affairs Officer
Fridthdr Kr. Eydal
Chief Petty Officer In Charge
JOC Terry J. Bamlhouse
Draftsman
DM2 Danielle J. Kim
Editor
J02 Colleen “Ghostwriter” Casper
Journalists
J02 Carlos Bongioanni
J03 (SW) Andreas Walter
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