Photo By Seaman Apprentice Christine Walters | Hospital Corpsman Basic (HCB) “A” School course instructors attached to the Navy...... read more read more
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO- FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas – Recently, Sailors attached to the Navy Medicine Training Support Command (NMTSC) and attending Hospital Corpsman Basic (HCB) “A” School Class 070, earned the Gadsden Flag, marking the first time in two years that a class has accomplished the feat.
The award came after they were awarded six pennants, which are earned for excellence in uniform inspection, room inspection, drill, physical readiness, academics, and volunteer service. For the sailors of Class 070 the recognition reflects months of discipline, coordination and collective determination.
“This took a good amount of time,” said U.S. Navy Hospitalman Alona Mone Lealaimatafao, a student in class 070. “We worked on it throughout most of our six-month training cycle and secured the final pennants about two to three weeks before graduation. It made us feel extremely accomplished, especially knowing no class had done this in the last two years.”
Lealaimatafao emphasized that success was not accidental. The class deliberately prioritized difficult objectives early on, particularly the physical readiness test pennant, widely considered one of the hardest to earn and noted that instructors played a key role in advocating for the class and guiding them through requirements.
“We set our expectations high from day one, did not allow complacency and delivered on our word through the good and bad,” said U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Alexis Rodriguezperez, an HCB instructor. “The athletic excellence pennant was the turning point for the class as it is the hardest to achieve, so once we earned that, the class could see the Gadsden flag within reach, and you could see the determination.”
Rodriguezperez added he was proud of the class when they received the Gadsden flag and that it felt like kicking down an old dusty door for everyone to follow.
For Class 070, the six-pennants represent more than accolades, they reflect a culture of accountability, teamwork and resilience.
“We were a solid class,” Lealaimatafao said. “Everyone wanted it and everyone pushed for it. That’s what made the difference.”
Class 070 graduated in April 2026 and left behind a new standard for future HCB classes.
Headquartered at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, NMTSC is the Navy component command providing administrative and operational control over Navy staff and students assigned to the Medical Education and Training Campus (METC) and other medical programs in the San Antonio area.
| Date Taken: | 12.31.1969 |
| Date Posted: | 05.21.2026 12:25 |
| Story ID: | 565810 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 65 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, HCB Class Earns the "Gadsden Flag" for the First Time in Two Years, by SA Christine Walters, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
