After the United States entered the war in April 1917 its soldiers, as part of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF), began to arrive in France later that year.

116 was organized December 20, 1917, at the Seventy-first Regiment Armory, NYC and trained until it left for Europe.

From then the hospital unit moved to its destination the Bazoilles-sur-Meuse, Department Vosges, in the advance section where it arrived on April 9.

Taking control of a type A barracks, with crisis expansion in marquee tents, giving a total capacity of 2,000 beds.

On July 20, 1918, the hospital began to operate a neuropsychiatric department where it admitted 1,048 cases.