TXSG Medical Brigade
History Of The Texas State Guard Medical Brigade
The Texas State Guard Medical Brigade is one of the four components of the Texas State Guard.
The Medical Brigade was established in March, 2003 as the Texas State Guard Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), a component of the Texas Military Forces under the Texas Adjutant General, and at the direction of the Governor of Texas. Initially, the MRC was cosponsored by, and to this day still maintains a working relationship with, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. It was reorganized as the Texas State Guard Medical Brigade in May 2007, and the membership has increased to over 350 medical and support personnel statewide. The Medical Brigade remains a Medical Reserve Corps unit designated by the U.S. Surgeon General. Its nickname is “The Texas Medical Rangers.”
The Medical Brigade was created as a regional medical response team to assist in Texas public health emergencies, including biological terrorism, epidemics, and disasters. The mission of the Medical Brigade is to provide licensed public health support personnel and technical support expertise in response to large scale disasters, supplementing public health authorities of the Texas Department of State Health Services. Upon approval of the Medical Brigade command, subordinate medical units may provide first aid support to select community events.
In addition to emergency medical response, the medical brigade is the primary force provider to southern deployments, an annual medical service and disaster recovery exercise that provides for the medical needs of thousands
of underserved Texas residents;, and is the largest public health humanitarian efforts in the country. The ranks of the Medical Brigade are comprised of trained, licensed and certified health care professionals and medical support personnel who train to support state and local public health authorities with surge capability and specialized emergency skills. These individuals serve in various roles depending on the nature of the emergency. Units can provide mission-specific response teams or individuals depending on the scope and size of the mission.
The Medical Brigade plans to grow to over 1000 personnel statewide. Medical Response Groups are presently located in Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Laredo, Midland-Odessa, San Antonio, Temple, Tyler, and Galveston. Medical Brigade Companies are located in Austin, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Fredericksburg, Lubbock, Rio Grande Valley, and Wichita Falls, with plans underway for the formation of companies in other cities throughout the state.
The Texas State Guard is one of three branches of the Texas Military Forces (TXMF), operating under the command of the Adjutant General of Texas and the Governor as Commander-in-Chief of all state military forces. The TXMF includes the Texas Army National Guard and the Texas Air National Guard.
For more information about the Texas State Guard, go to: www.txsg.state.tx.us
Prepared by Texas State Guard Public Affairs Office
Approved for Public Release
Current as of March 1, 2011
