Photo By Maria Christina Yager | U.S. Army Dentist Maj. David Chen, the last commander of the Fort Leavenworth Dental...... read more read more
FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas – Soldiers, civilians, and guests gathered to witness the casing of the colors for the U.S. Army Dental Clinic Command Fort Leavenworth, marking the official deactivation of the unit and honoring its final commander Maj. David Chen, July 11.
The ceremony, held on post at Frontier Chapel, recognized the unit’s legacy of delivering high-quality dental care and ensuring the medical readiness of thousands of Army and sister service leaders.
The history of the Fort Leavenworth Dental Clinic Command dates to 1901 with Robert P. Updike serving as the first dental surgeon assigned to Fort Leavenworth, according to the unit’s history. He used his private dental office to support the Soldiers stationed at the installation. In 1904, Fort Leavenworth built a dedicated dental operatory inside the installation’s hospital, Lowe Hall.
In 1929, dental operations expanded with the opening of a new hospital—including a dental clinic—within the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks compound. In 1961, Fort Leavenworth broke ground on what is now Munson Army Health Center which featured a six-chair dental clinic.
In 1968, construction began on Smith Dental Clinic, named in honor of Major General Thomas L. Smith, the tenth Chief of the Army Dental Corps.
Though the command itself is deactivating and realigning administrative functions under Munson as part of a unified medical system, dental services for service members in the Fort Leavenworth community remain the same.
Col. Jolanda “LJ” Walker, director of Munson Army Health Center, served as the guest speaker and praised Chen’s leadership.
“Dedication, service, and tireless pursuit of excellence have been the hallmarks of your tenure,” Walker said during her remarks. “Your leadership was key to ensuring that thousands of military leaders departed this installation medically ready to do the nation’s most necessary work.”
Chen thanked his team and mentors for their support throughout his command. “It has been a privilege to serve as the final commander,” he said. “To have supported this mission and witnessed its transformation firsthand is something I will always carry with me. Some say it’s about the journey or the destination—I believe it’s about the company.”
The casing of the colors symbolizes the official deactivation of the Leavenworth Dental Clinic Command, but leaders assured the community that dental services will remain in place with a new officer in charge who reports to the military treatment facility commander.
The Fort Leavenworth Dental Clinic has a dual mission of delivering dental healthcare to the service members assigned to Fort Leavenworth and also to the populations of United States Disciplinary Barracks and the Joint Regional Correctional Facility.
Family members of active-duty service members are eligible for dental care through the TRICARE DENTAL Program. The TRICARE Dental Program is a voluntary dental plan. Sponsors can enroll through the Beneficiary Web Enrollment website. To learn more visit https://tricare.mil/CoveredServices/Dental/TDP.
Retired service members and their family members may be eligible for Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program. To learn more visit https://www.benefeds.gov/
| Date Taken: | 07.14.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.14.2025 17:01 |
| Story ID: | 542762 |
| Location: | FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 52 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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