U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jaiveion Turner, left, a health services management journeyman, is evaluated by Staff Sgt. Abey Lewis, right, an aerospace medical technician, both assigned to the 99th Medical Group (MDG), on his needle decompression skills during the 2025 Diamondback Medic Rodeo at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Dec. 9, 2025.

Jan. 12, 2026

Nellis Medics Take the Reins, Host First Medic Rodeo

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. — Cannon blasts echoed across the desert and a helicopter hovered overhead as the cries of casualties cut through the air. This scenario was no ordinary training day; it was the inaugural Medic Rodeo at Nellis Air Force Base, a grueling race against the clock that would test the skills of the installation's medics.

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Graduate Medical Education (GME) program coordinators held their third annual retreat at the USO, Bethesda, Md., Dec. 4. The GME supports 51 different programs with up to 600 specialized medical providers at Walter Reed. (DOW photo by Ann Brandstadter)

Jan. 12, 2026

More Than Administrators: Walter Reed's GME Program Coordinators Build a Community of Resilience

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, BETHESDA, MD — Behind the 600-plus specialized providers who come through Uniformed Services University (USU), the Health Professional Scholarship Program, and other military training programs at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), stands a powerhouse team: the Graduate Medical Education (GME) Program Coordinators and Administrative Professionals. Thirty-three coordinators support 51 programs at Walter Reed, two at the Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center (ATAMMC) at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and several at USU.

Uniformed service member stores medications at pharmacy

Jan. 8, 2026

Make the most of your TRICARE pharmacy benefit in 2026

FALLS CHURCH, Va. — The TRICARE Pharmacy Program helps you get the prescription drugs you need in a safe, easy, and affordable way. Express Scripts administers the TRICARE pharmacy benefit and offers tools to help you manage your prescriptions.

Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) has proudly achieved a 5-star rating on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, recognizing it as one of the top hospitals in Hawaii for patient satisfaction. This esteemed accolade places TAMC alongside Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital, highlighting the exceptional care provided by these two institutions in the Aloha State. (Defense Health Agency Photo By Crizalmer Caraang Jr.)

Jan. 7, 2026

Tripler Army Medical Center earns 5-Star rating for patient recommendations

Tripler Army Medical Center, HI — Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) has proudly achieved a 5-star rating on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, recognizing it as one of the top hospitals in Hawaii for patient satisfaction. This esteemed accolade places TAMC alongside Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital, highlighting the exceptional care provided by these two institutions in the Aloha State.

U.S. Navy Capt. (Dr.) Michael Cirivello, chief of Neurosurgery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and his team perform a spinal fusion to alleviate a patient’s chronic back pain

Jan. 7, 2026

Walter Reed Neurosurgery Expands First-Class Care with VA Referrals

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, BETHESDA, MD — For Sarah Thompson, a future with less pain felt like distant hope. Suffering from spondylolisthesis, a painful slippage of a vertebral body, Thompson endured chronic back pain, severe radiating leg pain, and weakness in her foot.

Man in orange shirt reads papers while he sits at a desk

Jan. 6, 2026

TRICARE-allowable charges and balance billing: What you need to know

FALLS CHURCH, Va. — You may have heard the terms “allowable charge” and “balance billing.” But what do these terms mean when you have TRICARE? This article explains the different types of TRICARE-authorized providers and what they’re allowed to charge you.

Personnel from the 59th Medical Wing and civilian observers examine in-flight medical equipment aboard a military aircraft during a demonstration at Joint Base San Antonio–Lackland, Texas, on Jan. 6, 2026.

Jan. 6, 2026

Operational Truth and Technological Vision: DARPA and the 59th Medical Wing Shape the Future of Warfighter Care 

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas — The 59th Medical Wing and the San Antonio Military Health System hosted DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office for a two day strategic offsite at Joint Base San Antonio–Lackland, bringing together the Air Force’s oldest medical wing and one of the DoD’s most innovative research organizations. The visit connected DARPA’s biotechnology initiatives with the real operational demands of battlefield medicine through wargames, threat scenario exercises, and hands on exposure to Tactical Combat Casualty Care training. By pairing DARPA’s forward leaning research with the Wing’s deep operational expertise, the collaboration aims to develop rugged, intuitive, and lifesaving technologies for the first moments of combat. This engagement strengthened the longstanding relationship between DARPA and the Air Force and laid the groundwork for future advancements in warfighter medical care.

Join us as we bid farewell to CPT Luke Admire and welcome CPT Antonella Peterson as the new commander of the Irwin Army Community Hospital Medical Company. A change of command ceremony will be held at 9:30 a.m. on January 15th at the Fort Riley Soldier Recovery Unit Clamshell. The Fort Riley community is welcome and encouraged to attend. We thank CPT Admire for his dedicated leadership and are pleased to share that he will continue serving the Fort Riley community by providing nursing care at IACH's inpatient behavioral health unit. Please join us in also welcoming CPT Peterson to her new command. We look forward to seeing you there as we mark this important transition

Jan. 6, 2026

Medical Company Change of Command

FORT RILEY, Kansas — We bid farewell to CPT Luke Admire and welcome CPT Antonella Peterson as the new commander of the Irwin Army Community Hospital (IACH) Medical Company.

This graphic was created to inform Military Health System beneficiaries about the Walter's Way feedback form at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The feedback form allows beneficiaries to communicate what is most important to them in the delivery of their care, highlight what the facility is doing well, and share ideas on how it can improve.

Jan. 6, 2026

Walter’s Way: Early Data and Feedback Show Positive Trends

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, BETHESDA, MD — Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is seeing early gains from Walter’s Way, a new access-to-care model designed to make it easier for patients to get the right care at the right time. While the initiative is still being evaluated, early data and feedback suggest the changes are improving patient experience, appointment access, and clinic efficiency.

U.S. Army Capt. (Dr.) Brian Graziose, a fellow in Walter Reed’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and his wife Sarah welcomed their healthy daughter, Victoria, into the world on Oct. 30, 2025 following a challenging pregnancy.

Jan. 5, 2026

Walter Reed caregiver becomes Walter Reed care receiver

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, BETHESDA, MD — A Walter Reed doctor and his family recently became patients at the hospital where he serves, relying on the medical center’s presidential care during a life-threatening event.

Don’t forget to keep your family’s information up to date in DEERS!