Photo By William Wight | Headquarters and Headquarters Company of 502nd Field Hospital (FH) conducted a change...... read more read more
PYEOUNGTAEK, SOUTH KOREA --Headquarters and Headquarters Company of 502nd Field Hospital (FH) conducted a change of command ceremony on September 17 under HPCON-C conditions inside the 2nd Infantry Division Museum on Humphreys. Capt. Clint Culver relinquished command to Capt. William Burton. The reviewing officer was Lt. Col. Sarah Torres, commander of the 502nd Field Hospital.
In her welcoming remarks, Torres stated that HHC has been at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19. In February, Capt. Culver deployed his team 160 kilometers south to Camp Carroll to set up the Army’s first Isolation Center. With no set guidance or direction on how to make this new tasking happen, the policies and procedures developed by his team have become standard throughout the medical command.
“We will miss Clint’s compassionate leadership. He knows his Soldiers and KATUSAs and he cares’” said Torres. “He not only empowered his team, but is there alongside them day in and day out and won’t ask anything of them that he wouldn’t do himself. Clint, you are an amazing officer who consistently pushes yourself to be the best while taking the time to develop everyone around you. You will be missed.”
During his final remarks to the unit, Culver thanked the “Bulldog” family as he departs Korea towards an assignment at Ft. Campbell.
“A dual mission requirement is something not many of us are familiar with, and our hospital personnel have executed not only their MTOE and TDA missions, but responded flawlessly to the unknown complexities of the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Culver. “It is because of your unwavering commitment to provide the best healthcare possible in all conditions, and the disciplined partnership with our host nation friends, that we find ourselves among the best around the world in responding to this global pandemic and for that I am grateful to have been a part of this experience with each and every one of you.”
Echoing those words, Torres spoke of the reputation of Capt. Burton and the certainty of him being the right leader for the team.
“I am truly humbled to be taking the guidon,” replied Burton. “I look forward to building upon the great things this company has already done and continue to strive for greatness as we remain ready to fight tonight.”
The 502nd FH has endured tremendous growth over the previous year that has set the foundation of success for future missions to come. Exactly one year ago, Bravo Company, 121st Combat Support Hospital transcended into HHC, 502nd FH of the 549th Hospital Center. The unit operates with a dual mission concept of providing world-class armistice health care through the Brian D. Allgood Army Community Hospital while simultaneously preparing to execute comprehensive, mobile health service support in transition to hostilities.
The 549th Hospital Center went through a conversion to the Field Hospital design in July 2019. It is now comprised of two FHs; the 121st FH and 502nd FH, Four Medical Detachments; 129th, 125th, 150th, and 197th, and finally the 135th Forward Resuscitative Surgical Team.
The FH design is based on lessons learned from more than a decade of combat that have reinforced the Army's need to have forward-based medical capabilities that are advanced yet also agile and logistically scalable. Traditional Combat Support Hospitals have proven to be too large and logistically difficult to deploy as a whole, which is why the Army has historically only deployed "slices" or sections of the CSH. The move to the FH design codifies that practice by restructuring the CSH in the way it is primarily used -- as a customizable, scalable resource.
| Date Taken: | 09.22.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 09.22.2020 07:53 |
| Story ID: | 378334 |
| Location: | KR |
| Web Views: | 559 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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