Secretary of the Air Force and 2024 Wash100 winner Frank Kendall and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David Allvin have signed Program Action Directive 24-01, authorizing the formation of a direct reporting unit called the Air Force Medical Command.
AFMEDCOM will be led by the Air Force surgeon general and comprise two regional commands, each of which will oversee subordinate medical units, according to a news article posted Thursday on the U.S. Air Force website.
AFMEDCOM’s functions will include providing medical command authority to ensure the readiness of airmen and guardians; optimizing healthcare delivery by deconflicting operational requirements; and providing focus on Air Force Force Generation support.
The establishment of AFMEDCOM began with the redesignation of Air Force Medical Readiness Agency into Air Force Medical Agency, or AFMED, which achieved initial operational capability as a field operating agency in 2023. It is AFMED that will become AFMEDCOM.
The standing up of AFMEDCOM will be carried out via a multi-phase process. Over the next few months, those involved with AFMEDCOM’s implementation will work to ensure the full transition of personnel and develop command roles, responsibilities and relationships. These will have to take place before permanent changes at the installation level occur.
U.S. Air Force Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Robert Miller said the formation of AFMEDCOM “will improve the Air Force’s ability to generate medically ready forces, provide installation support, and improve our partnership with the Defense Health Agency to optimize health care delivery.”
“This is aligned with the Department of Air Force’s efforts to reemphasize its focus on readiness,” Miller added.
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