Photo By Bryan Lunn | Retired Sgt. 1st Class Sammie L. Davis, a Medal of Honor recipient, is pictured with...... read more read more
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FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas — The U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence, along with friends, family members and Soldiers, gathered March 15 on MacArthur Parade Field for a moment 16 weeks in the making, the graduation of the Army’s newest 68W combat medics.
This ceremony carried a significance unlike any other.
In the front row sat retired Sgt. 1st Class Sammie L. Davis, a Medal of Honor recipient, whose heroism in Vietnam has inspired generations of Soldiers. On this day, he was not only a national hero, but he was also a grandfather watching his grandson, Pfc. Reuben Brinkmeter, join the ranks of America’s lifesavers.
“I’m honored to be alongside everyone today,” Davis said. “If it weren’t for medics, I wouldn’t be here. I was shot 26 times, and they saved my life.”
Maj. Gen. Anthony McQueen, U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence commanding general and Joint Base San Antonio senior Army element commander, centered his remarks on the gravity of the combat medic profession and the legacy the graduates now inherit.
“Some of the strongest Soldiers I have known did not wear brass or stars,” McQueen said. “They carried aid bags.”
He spoke about his deployment to Iraq during the surge, recalling medics who ran toward blasts, treated wounds under fire and refused to leave a casualty behind.
“I watched them step into chaos with nothing but their training, their courage and the conviction that they could save a life,” he said. “Selfless service isn’t just a value; it’s the standard a medic lives by every single day.”
Alpha Company, known proudly as the Gators, trained in an environment Soldiers call “the Swamp,” a place where standards are high, pressure is constant and growth is earned.
Over 16 weeks, the class demonstrated a 92.82% first‑time pass rate on the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians exam, along with strong communication and peer‑driven motivation. About one‑quarter of graduates are heading to line units, while the majority will move to medical battalions and military treatment facilities. Several Soldiers are preparing for deployments toPoland, Kuwait, South Korea and more.
The class also made history by participating in two first‑ever pilot programs: drone integration during field exercises, enabling SALUTE reporting and casualty protection, and augmented‑reality medical glasses that allow remote surgical guidance from anywhere in the world.
“Today, you prepare for a battlefield that looks different. A battlefield that is evolving faster than ever, more complex, more contested, and more unpredictable,” McQueen said. “That is why you must be ready to provide care well beyond the golden hour.”
| Date Taken: | 06.01.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.01.2026 17:32 |
| Story ID: | 566621 |
| Location: | FORT SAM HOUSTON, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 19 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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