Air Force Medical Command | |
|---|---|
.jpg) An operational medicine technician examining an Air Force pilot | |
| Active | 1992–present |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Command ofUnited States Air Force medical units |
| Part of | United States Air Force |
| Garrison/HQ | Falls Church, Virginia |
| Decorations | Air Force Organizational Excellence Award |
| Insignia | |
| Air Force Medical Command emblem[a][1] |  |
TheAir Force Medical Command (AFMEDCOM) is aDirect Reporting Unit of theUnited States Air Force, colocated atFalls Church, Virginia with theDefense Health Agency. It is commanded by theSurgeon General of the United States Air Force and provides command and direction for Air Force medical units. AFMEDCOM is not aMajor Command (MAJCOM), despite the naming similarity to them.
The organization was first organized as theAir Force Medical Operations Agency in July 1992, as a companion to theAir Force Medical Support Agency. This dual management continued until June 2019, when the two agencies were combined as theAir Force Medical Readiness Agency. Starting in 2023, the Air Force began combining elements of its Surgeon General's staff with the agency with this agency to take full control of Air Force medical units, achieving initial operational capability in March 2025.
TheAir Force Medical Command mission is to generate medically ready forces, provide installation support, and improve its partnership with theDefense Health Agency to optimize health care delivery.[2]
In 1992, theAir Force Medical Operations Agency was formed from the flight medicine department of theAir Force Office of Medical Support, which became the Air Force Medical Support Agency. Though it originally cared for operational matters under the direction of the Surgeon General of the United States Air Force, the agency moved to a more proactive approach, managing population health rather than episodic care to improve the health and lives of Air Force members and their families. The agency expanded to optimizing medical resources, radiation protection, aerospace medicine, and clinical service.[3][4]
On 28 June 2019 the split responsibility for medical services ended, as theAir Force Medical Support Agency's functions were consolidated into the agency, which was redesignated the Air Force Medical Readiness Agency (AFMRA).[1] The fiscal year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act required the Air Force to establish a readiness focused medical organization. Activating AFMRA streamlined Air Force medical organization from a dual focus on health benefit delivery and readiness performed by two agencies, to one focused on readiness. The organization oversaw medical readiness programs, expeditionary medical capabilities and mission support requirements. It also assisted the Air Force surgeon general in developing policy to support Air Force major commands and base-level unit missions.[5][b]
The Air Force determined to posture theAir Force Medical Service to better serve installation commanders and the medical readiness of airmen and guardians. The initial step was to reform the Air Force Medical Readiness Agency to transform elements of the office Air Force Surgeon General asAir Force Medical (Agency), which achievedinitial operational capability in October 2023. This would lead to the formation ofAir Force Medical Command as aDirect Reporting Unit aligned with the Secretary of the Air Force’s readiness priorities. “This alignment will improve the Air Force’s ability to generate medically ready forces, provide installation support, and improve our partnership with theDefense Health Agency to optimize health care delivery,” according to Lt Gen Robert Miller, the Air Force surgeon general. The implementation will take place in phases. The Air Force surgeon general serves as the command's commander.[2]
In August 2024, the unit was redesignatedAir Force Medical Command and two subcommands were organized the following month. With the activation of six of the planned seven medical wings in March 2025, the command reached initial operational capability.[6] Personnel began transferring in to the new command in a process that will extend over two years as old medical units assigned to Major Air Commands are inactivated and replaced by new units assigned to AF Medical Command's new wings.[7]
| Award streamer | Award | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Air Force Organizational Excellence Award | 1 September 2001 – 31 August 2003 | Air Force Medical Operations Agency[1] |
| Air Force Organizational Excellence Award | 1 January 2014 – 31 December 2015 | Air Force Medical Operations Agency[1] |
| Air Force Organizational Excellence Award | 1 January 2019 – 31 December 2020 | Air Force Medical Operations Agency (later Air Force Medical Readiness Agency)[1] |
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
