Air Force medical units merge in San Antonio Published Feb. 2, 2010 By Linda Frost 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The 59th Medical Wing at Lackland Air Force Base just got bigger when all Air Force medical treatment facilities in San Antonio merged under a single command structure Feb. 1 The 12th Medical Group at Randolph Air Force Base became the 359th Medical Group, and the 37th Medical Group at Lackland became the 559th Medical Group. The realignment unites the medical units and their subordinate squadrons from Randolph and Lackland Air Force bases under the 59th MDW. With the addition of approximately 700 members from these two groups, the wing grows to more than 6,000 active duty members, civilians and contractors. The 59th MDW headquarters is located at Wilford Hall Medical Center and led by Maj. Gen. Thomas W. Travis. The consolidation will be transparent to beneficiaries with no change in services at the Randolph, Lackland, Brooks or Kelly clinics. Military and civilian personnel will see little impact, with the exception of minor adjustments to the chain of command. The transition of Air Force medical facilities here is a direct result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Recommendation 146, under which installation support functions consolidated at 12 locations across the Department of Defense. In San Antonio, the newly formed 502nd Air Base Wing, under the Joint Basing Plan, will be responsible for the mission support groups at each installation, while the 59th MDW assumes responsibility for the Air Force medical groups. The realignment streamlines medical contingency operations planning and installation and clinical support by creating a single interface point for all installations in the area. "The installations' missions drive the support, not vice versa. Under Joint Base San Antonio, the 59th MDW now has a responsibility to directly support the missions and commanders at each of the installations through the newly-activated medical groups," General Travis said. The 59th MDW operates the Air Force's largest medical facility. Its mission is to provide deployed and in-garrison healthcare, graduate medical education and clinical research, all designed to enhance Air Force readiness. The medical realignment coincides with the joint base standup of the 502nd ABW's subordinate units Feb. 2. In an early morning ceremony at Randolph AFB, the 12th MDG was inactivated by Col. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost, 12th Flying Training Wing commander, the prior host unit, followed by the immediate activation of the 359th Medical Group by General Travis. "The realignment of the medical group here under a medical wing is a change that has the right vector," said Colonel Van Ovost. "While the medical group will no longer belong to the 12th FTW after today, it will still provide the world-class healthcare it always has to the greater Randolph community, only now it will be able to do more under the umbrella of a large medical system that reaches across all of San Antonio." Assuming command of the 359th MDG is Col. Soledad Lindo-Moon, with four squadrons assigned. Meantime, an afternoon ceremony at Lackland AFB commenced with the inactivation of the 37th MDG, led by Col. William H. Mott, 37th Training Wing commander. During the activation portion of the ceremony, General Travis stood up the 559th MDG Group, led by Col. Rick Compise. "This medical group is an outstanding organization, and it makes sense for the medical community to take care of the medical community," Col. Mott said. "Change is never easy, but this is one change that is going to work just fine." "I have no doubt that the excellent medical support of the bases and their missions will continue, and even get better, under this new construct. That will be my goal, and my entire team's goal, as we begin this new adventure called Joint Base San Antonio," General Travis said. The medical units involved in the ceremony included: -- 12th Medical Group inactivated; 359th Medical Group activated -- 12th Aerospace Medicine Squadron inactivated; 359th Aerospace Medicine Squadron activated --12th Dental Squadron inactivated; 359th Dental Squadron activated --12th Medical Operations Squadron inactivated; 359th Medical Operations Squadron activated --12th Medical Support Squadron inactivated; 359th Medical Support Squadron activated --37th Medical Group inactivated; 559th Medical Group activated --37th Aerospace Medicine Squadron inactivated; 559th Aerospace Medicine Squadron activated --37th Medical Operations Squadron inactivated; 559th Medical Operations Squadron activated