Fort Johnson Medical Service Corps Officers celebrate 107 years

Story by Jean Graves

Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital

FORT JOHNSON, La. —Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital celebrated the 107th Anniversary of the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps and the establishment of the Fort Johnson Silver Caduceus Society with MSC officers from across the installation, on Jun. 28, at the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Johnson, Louisiana.

According to the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence, the MSC consists of four multi-functional areas comprised of 23 areas of concentration, and four additional skill identifiers. MSC officers serve in administrative health services, medical allied sciences, preventive medicine, behavioral health, pharmacy, optometry, podiatry, aeromedical evacuation, and as health services maintenance technicians.

Lt. Col. Alexander Ragan, installation director of psychological health, served as the keynote speaker. Ragan said the MSC is the backbone of military medicine.

“The extensive range of AOCs in the Medical Service Corps highlights its diverse role in supporting military healthcare through various specialized and administrative functions,” he said. “Since its establishment on June 30, 1917, the Army Medical Service Corps has been at the forefront of innovation, dedication, and excellence in military medicine. Since World War I, the corps has grown as an integral part of the armed forces, providing critical support in every conflict and peacetime mission thereafter.”

Ragan said the celebration was a way to reaffirm and commit to supporting the corps and its mission to protect and heal those who serve the nation.

Lt. Col. John Broussard, deputy commander for administration at BJACH, said it’s important to celebrate anniversaries.

“Events like this provide an opportunity to reflect on those who have come before us,” he said. “Today we get the chance to step out of our foxholes and remember we are part of a larger team.”

Broussard said MSC officers are the link between healthcare delivery and military operations.

“From aligning our limited medical assets to evacuating and tracking our Soldiers, we get the mission done,” he said. “Our mission at Fort Johnson requires a myriad of MSCs to support eleven combat training center rotations each year, unit deployments and installation support.”

Broussard said hosting the event was an opportunity to bring MSC officers together and to establish the Fort Johnson Silver Caduceus Society.

Broussard said the SCS is an informal organization for MSC officers to conduct personal and professional development, as well as a forum to discuss advancements in technical, administrative, and scientific arenas.

“Having a Silver Caduceus Society on Fort Johnson will generate a network for mentorship,” he said. “Young MSC officers are often the only MSC officers in their unit, devoting most of their time to their current job requirements. The SCS allows us to support one another, share experiences, and discuss different roles in the corps. This will help junior officers determine which future assignments to request and help shape their careers.”

2nd Lt. Isella Wallace, chief of patient administration at BJACH coordinated the celebration.

“I thought pairing the MSC Anniversary with the introduction of the Fort Johnson Silver Caduceus Society would be a great way to bring us all together from our different units at a formal event,” she said. “I hope everyone enjoyed themselves, learned something they didn’t know before, made some new MSC connections, and is looking forward to more SCS social activities in the near future.”