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Happy 65th birthday to the Air Force Medical Service

  • Published
  • Air Force Surgeon General Public Affairs
WASHINGTON --  Happy birthday to the Air Force Medical Service today!

In September 1947 the combat elements of the Army Air Forces separated from the U.S. Army, forming the United States Air Force. But a few Air Force support functions, such as medical care, remained U.S. Army responsibilities for the next two years. Starting in 1948, the Air Force and the Air Surgeon, Maj. Gen. Malcolm C. Grow (1887-1960), began to convince the U.S. Army and the administration of President Truman that the Air Force needed its own medical service. In the summer of 1949, Air Force General Order No. 35 established a medical service with the following officer personnel components: Medical Corps, Dental Corps, Veterinary Corps, Medical Service Corps, Air Force Nurse Corps, and Women's Medical Specialist Corps.

The order stated, "The above listed corps shall consist of those personnel transferred from corresponding corps of the Department of the Army, and personnel subsequently commissioned in the respective corps of the Medical Service, United States Air Force. Personnel appointed in the above corps will be carried on separate promotion lists." Each officer corps also received a contingent of enlisted medics. The effective date of the creation of the Air Force Medical Service (AFMS) was July 1, 1949.

More information on the AFMS can be found at http://www.afms.af.mil/aboutafms.asp