New Army officers welcomed to WBAMC during promotion and oath of office ceremony
Photo By Amabilia Payen |
Newly promoted, Capt. Kallin Austin raised his right hand as he was given the oath of......read moreread more
Photo By Amabilia Payen | Newly promoted, Capt. Kallin Austin raised his right hand as he was given the oath of office into active-duty, during a ceremony on June 1, at the NCO Leadership Center of Excellence auditorium, hosted by William Beaumont Army Medical Center’s Graduate Medical Education programs. see less
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New Army officers welcomed to WBAMC during promotion and oath of office ceremony
FORT BLISS, Texas – Nineteen new U.S. Army medical officers who were in the rank of second lieutenant were promoted to captain, took their oath of office, and got their first salutes on June 1, inside the NCO Leadership Center of Excellence auditorium. The Graduate Medical Education team of William Beaumont Army Medical Center hosted the ceremony and welcomed the U.S. Army’s newest doctors as they start active-duty service.
The ceremony celebrated the new captains' transition into active-duty military medicine and highlighted the timeless bond between officers and noncommissioned officers. Each new captain saluted a designated noncommissioned officer and then gave a silver dollar to the NCO. This gift is an old custom that builds a strong bond of respect between officers and NCOs.
"The first salute is a ceremony that we have in the Army to establish the bond between the NCO and the officer," said Capt. Trung Tran, the Student Detachment commander, WBAMC Medical Readiness Battalion. "The NCO is the backbone of the Army who is going to be a mentor, a friend, a battle buddy, but who is going to watch their six throughout their time here."
Col. Wendy Gray, the event's guest speaker, reminded the new captains that leadership in medicine carries a unique responsibility. Gray told the group, "The way you treat patients, support your peers, and care for Soldiers will shape the culture of your units and the quality of care delivered across the force." She urged them to lead with character, competence, and compassion.
Most of the 19 new captains are commissioned into the Army through college ROTC programs, coming from states like California and Utah. These officers will work in many different clinical areas during their first year. In their second year, they will pick a specialty like family medicine, internal medicine, or orthopedic surgery. Their specialty will determine how long they will be at WBAMC, which is an average of three to five years.
For resident Capt. Kallin Austin, the ceremony held a deep personal meaning. "It is special to be the same rank my grandfather retired at, as he is the only other military member in my family," Austin said. He added that he is excited to provide the best care possible to patients at Fort Bliss.
The GME program under the Defense Health Agency trains more than 3,000 U.S. military officers annually in 25 teaching hospitals, hosting 216 training programs. Two hundred programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. At WBAMC, there are four programs which are internal medicine, orthopedic surgery, surgery, and transitional year residency program.
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