3rd Theater Medical Command


The 3rd Theater Medical Command or "Desert Medics" is headquartered in Atlanta, GA and manages all the Army Reserve deployable field medical units east of Ohio. While the 807th MCDS covers the MTOE medical units to the west and ARMEDCOM provides command and control for all the Table of Distribution and Allowance medical units within CONUS.
Units of the 3rd TMC provide general, surgical, dental, ambulance, behavioral health, preventive medicine, and veterinary support to Army units and to civilian populations.

Current organization

The 3rd Theater Medical Command is a subordinate functional command of the United States Army Reserve Command. As of January 2026, the command oversees all operational reserve medical units east of the Mississippi river and in Louisiana. As of January 2026, the command consists of the following units:

Operation Desert Storm

  • 3rd Medical Command
  • *566th Medical Company
  • *45th Medical Company
  • *173rd Medical Group
  • **8th Evacuation Hospital
  • ***663rd Medical Detachment
  • **85th Evacuation Hospital
  • ***420th Medical Detachment
  • **201st Evacuation Hospital
  • **207th Evacuation Hospital
  • ***386th Medical Detachment
  • **47th Field Hospital
  • **300th Field Hospital
  • **120th Medical Battalion
  • ***675th Medical Detachment
  • ***1291h Medical Company
  • ***216th Medical Company
  • ***348th Medical Detachment
  • ***872nd Medical Detachment
  • *202nd Medical Group
  • **129th Evacuation Hospital
  • **311th Evacuation Hospital
  • **365th Evacuation Hospital
  • **927th Medical Company
  • *244th Medical Group
  • **50th General Hospital
  • ***423rd Medical Laboratory
  • ***996th Medical Laboratory
  • **316th Station Hospital
  • ***989th Medical Detachment
  • **382nd Field Hospital
  • ***467th Medical Detachment
  • ***357th Medical Detachment
  • **144th Evacuation Hospital
  • **217th Evacuation Hospital
  • **92nd Medical Battalion
  • ***17th Medical Detachment
  • ***947th Medical Company
  • ***134th Medical Company
  • ***336th Medical Detachment
  • *803rd Medical Group
  • **114th Evacuation Hospital
  • **251st Evacuation Hospital
  • ***181st Medical Detachment
  • ***395th Medical Detachment
  • ***904th Medical Detachment
  • ***424th Medical Laboratory
  • **350th Evacuation Hospital
  • **109th Medical Battalion
  • ***75th Medical Detachment
  • ***914th Medical Detachment
  • ***477th Medical Company
  • ***812th Medical Company
  • ***343rd Medical Detachment
  • ***986th Medical Detachment
  • *2nd Medical Detachment
  • **122nd Medical Detachment
  • **123rd Medical Detachment
  • *379th Medical Detachment
  • **448th Medical Detachment
  • *320th Medical Detachment
  • **356th Medical Detachment
  • **422nd Medical Detachment
  • **483rd Medical Detachment
  • ***888th Medical Detachment
  • *12th Medical Detachment
  • **714th Medical Detachment
  • **105th Medical Detachment
  • **983rd Medical Detachment
  • *US Army Medical Materiel Center, Saudi Arabia
  • **47th Medical Supply, Optical, and Maintenance Battalion
  • ***980th MEDSOM Battalion
  • ***249th Medical Detachment
  • ***49th Medical Detachment
  • ***153rd Medical Detachment
  • ***605th Medical Detachment
  • ***655th Medical Detachment
  • **145th MEDSOM Battalion
  • ***402nd Medical Detachment
  • ***220th Medical Detachment

    Lineage

3rd Medical Command Headquarters and Headquarters Company was constituted 21 December 1928, in the Regular Army as the 3rd Auxiliary Surgical Group.
Activated 5 May 1942, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
Reorganized and redesignated 1 August 1945, as the 896th Medical Professional Service.
Inactivated 6 October 1945, in Germany.
Redesignated 16 March 1991, as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Medical Command.
Activated in Saudi Arabia with personnel from Headquarters Company, 3rd Medical Command organized 16 September 1990 in Saudi Arabia.
The ARCENT Medical Group was established on 5 or 6 December 1990 by ARCENT Permanent Order 262-1.
On 29 December 1990 ARCENT Permanent Order 273-1 amended that order to create the United States Army Forces Central Command Medical Command. It appears the order was issued on 26 March, to be made effective on 29 December.
In order to provide the additional staff required for Headquarters, ARCENT Medical Command, the staff of the 202nd Medical Group, an Army National Guard unit from Florida, was combined with the staff of the ARCENT Medical Group.
On 5 March 1991, Forces Command Permanent Order 31-1 activated the 3rd Medical Command effective 15 March 1991. While not technically a re-designation, the personnel and equipment of the ARCENT Medical Command were 'reflagged' as the 3rd Medical Command.

Unit insignia

Shoulder sleeve insignia (SSI)

Description

Symbolism

Background

Distinctive unit insignia (DUI)

Description

Symbolism

Background

Unit honors

World War II

  • Tunisia
  • Sicily
  • Normandy
  • Northern France
  • Ardennes-Alcase
  • Rhineland
  • Central Europe

    Southwest Asia

  • Defense of Saudi Arabia
  • Liberation and Defense of Kuwait
  • Southwest Asia Cease-Fire

    Global War on Terrorism

  • Operation Enduring Freedom
  • Iraqi Freedom

    Iraq

  • National Resolution
  • Iraqi Surge
  • Iraqi Sovereignty

    Unit awards

  • EUROPEAN THEATER 1944
  • SOUTHWEST ASIA 1990–1991
  • SOUTHWEST ASIA 2009–2010
  • SOUTHWEST ASIA 2012–2013