The Army Medical Department Regiment

The Army Medical Department (AMEDD) was formed on 27 July 1775, when the Continental Congress authorized a Hospital Department for a 20,000-man Army. There was, however, no formal regimental organization until World War I. Then, in the late 1950's, the brigade replaced the regiment as a tactical unit. In the reorganizations which followed, some Army units lost their identity, their lineage, and their history. This loss did not go unnoticed, and the U. S. Army Regimental System was created to reverse this trend. The regiment has always been the source of tradition and history in our Armed Forces, as well as in those of England and Australia, and the source of many of our military customs. Since it is no longer a tactical unit and no longer subject to frequent reorganizations, the regiment will have a permanent and stable place of honor as the Army's "Keeper of the Colors."

The AMEDD Regiment can trace its roots to 1818, the year the crest was adopted. The exact date cannot be confirmed, but the 20 stars in the crest suggest that it was in 1818, as there were 20 states in the Union in 1818. An additional fact supports the 1818 date - Congress passed an Act, in April of 1818, which reorganized the staff departments of the Army.

The purpose of the Army Regimental System is to foster unity. The bonding agent of unity is cohesiveness. Soldiers with close ties, with strong feelings of esprit de corps, characterize a cohesive unit - one that gets the job done. Medical soldiers will identify with their regiment. They will soon realize that the thread of the regiment will be woven throughout the fabric of their respective organizations - in operational matters, in training matters, and in personnel matters.

The Army Medical Department Regiment was activated on 28 July 1986, during a ceremonial review on MacArthur Field, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Lieutenant General Quinn H. Becker, The Surgeon General, U. S. Army, and AMEDD Regimental Commander, was the reviewing officer. Major General Julius J. Chosy, Deputy Surgeon General for Mobilization and National Guard Affairs, and Brigadier General Robert L. Wick, Jr., Deputy Surgeon General for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs, were members of the reviewing party. Their presence was significant in that members of the Reserve Components comprised 70 percent of the AMEDD force.