Articles

April 17, 2026

Lackland JWRSC sharpens warfighter vision with next-generation technology

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas — Joint Base San Antonio Lackland enhances readiness with advanced laser vision correction capabilities

April 10, 2026

Military Holds Summit to Consider Launching a Prize Competition to Rapidly Develop Freeze-Dried Blood for Battlefield and Civilian Use

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas — A one-day summit in San Antonio brought together military, academic, and industry partners to assess the current state of freeze-dried red blood cell technology and explore its potential for battlefield and civilian use. Participants also discussed using a prize competition model to accelerate development and transition the capability from research into practical, life-saving medical applications.

April 6, 2026

Primary Care Behavioral Health program brings whole-person care to JBSA clinics

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas — A routine visit to a primary care clinic at Joint Base San Antonio can mean more than a prescription refill or annual checkup. Through the Primary Care Behavioral Health program, service members and families can address stress, sleep concerns, chronic pain and other issues that affect overall health and readiness, all in one familiar setting.

April 6, 2026

Lifeline in the Sky: KC-46 and Medical Teams Unite for Critical Care Exercise

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas — A KC-46 Pegasus from Oklahoma, typically a lifeline for jets, recently became a crucial link in a high-stakes aeromedical evacuation exercise.

March 23, 2026

59th Medical Wing to transition Wilford Hall Emergency Department to Urgent Care Center

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO–LACKLAND, Texas — The 59th Medical Wing announced that the Emergency Department at Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center will transition to an Urgent Care Center beginning April 4, 2026, at 8 a.m., shifting services to support non-life-threatening care.

March 23, 2026

Maj William R. Hoffman, MD Recognized with Raymond F. Longacre Award for Excellence in Aerospace Behavioral Health

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas — The Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) has announced that Maj Hoffman, Medical Director, Joint Integrated Clinical Medicine Research, Office of the Chief Scientist, will be honored with the Raymond F. Longacre Award during the upcoming Honors Night ceremony at the annual Aerospace Medical Association & Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society Annual Scientific Meeting.

March 19, 2026

59MDW/ST Welcomes Dr. Jeremy Neslon, VelocityTX Chief Innovation Officer, to Strengthen Strategic Innovation Partnership

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas — The 59th Medical Wing Science and Technology Directorate (59 MDW/ST) was honored to host Jeremy Nelson, PhD, on his visit to Joint Base San Antonio Lackland following his appointment as the new Chief Innovation Officer for VelocityTX. His visit marks an important milestone in our continued collaboration.

Feb. 13, 2026

Dr. Niemeyer Honored with 2026 AMSUS Lifetime Achievement Award for Transformative Impact on Federal Healthcare

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas — Dr. Debra Niemeyer, Director of the 59th Medical Wing Chief Scientist’s Office, Science and Technology, has been selected to receive the 2026 AMSUS Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the highest honors in federal medicine. The award recognizes her career-long contributions to advancing military medicine, improving healthcare delivery, mentoring future leaders, and strengthening federal health systems across the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, and U.S. Public Health Service. This prestigious honor reflects her enduring impact on national healthcare, military readiness, and innovation, and will be presented at the AMSUS Annual Meeting.

Jan. 29, 2026

Combat Casualty Care Technology Receives FDA Breakthrough Designation for the “AI-GUIDE”

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas — The Defense Health Agency marked a major milestone in battlefield medicine after the FDA granted Breakthrough Device Designation to the AI-GUIDE system, an AI-enabled robotic ultrasound device developed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory. Designed for austere and high-stress environments, AI-GUIDE helps frontline medical personnel rapidly and accurately establish vascular access, a critical capability in treating noncompressible torso hemorrhage, a leading cause of preventable combat deaths. The achievement reflects close collaboration among the DHA, 59th Medical Wing, 959th Medical Group, Brooke Army Medical Center, and MIT researchers to accelerate life-saving innovation for warfighters.

Jan. 16, 2026

Empowering Innovation: A Research Look at SASW 2025’s Impact on Business Development

JBSA-LACKLAND, Texas — Dr. Scott Walter, the Director of Technology Transition/Transfer for the 59th Medical Wings Office of the Chief Scientist, along with Michael "Mic" Borcherding, Director of Innovation for VelocityTx co-chaired a panel session titled “Leveraging SBIR, CDMRP, and MTEC to Accelerate Dual-Use Solutions” at the San Antonio Startup Week (SASW). SASW 2025 was held 20 – 24 October 2025 for entrepreneurs, startups, and small business owners to support business development and featured educational panels, workshops, pitch competitions, and networking opportunities. The free, five-day event celebrated its 10th anniversary and was held downtown San Antonio, with Geekdom as the central location.