United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine
After the creation of NASA, USAFSAM continued to actively support civilian and military manned space missions through clinical and physiologic research.
[8][9] Initial skills training is provided for enlisted and officers in the disciplines of public health and preventive medicine, Bioenvironmental Engineering, aerospace physiology, aeromedical evacuation[10] for nurses and enlisted medical technicians, flight and operational medicine, and critical care air transport team (CCATT) treatment.
[14] USAFSAM provides consultative support to all USAF bases in the disciplines listed above fielding approximately 5000 requests and over 2.3M laboratory tests annually.
[40][41] The Hazelhurst Laboratory had a small decompression chamber and research was begun on human tolerance to lowered oxygen tension.
The impetus for the creation of the lab was the entry of the United States into World War I on April 6, 1917 and the resulting increase in use of aircraft by military forces.
One of the first observations made by General Lyster was the alarming mortality rate from aircraft accidents among flying cadets at training centers in the U.S. and with the Allies in France.
[40] The term Flight Surgeon[45][46][47] was adopted by the Hazelhurst Laboratory on March 11, 1918 to identify those physicians devoting themselves to the health and well-being of the flyers.
There were approximately 3,000 American flyers in France and aircraft accidents accounted for 74.6% of the fatalities among aviators, with only 24.8% due to combat and only 0.6% to disease.
In response the Air Service Medical Research Laboratory deployed[49] 34 officers and 13 enlisted men to Issoudun, France.
[40] With the onset of war in Europe the United States began mobilizing its forces in 1940 which resulted in an expansion of personnel and funding for the School.
Included in this new research department were branches for physiology, psychology, psychiatry, biochemistry, biophysics, pharmacology, ophthalmology, clinical investigation, otolaryngology, pathology, statistics, physical education and dentistry.
[40] In August 1946, Colonel (Maj Gen) Armstrong formally proposed the establishment of an Aeromedical Center to provide for the teaching, research, and clinical practice of aviation medicine.
[40] By 1950 the School had outgrown its space on Randolph Field in San Antonio, Texas so portions of the education activities were temporarily placed at Gunter Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama.
[40] In July 1952 Public Law 534 was passed by the 82nd Congress which authorized $8,000,000 for construction of facilities (The Aeromedical Center) for the School of Aviation Medicine at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas.
[40][53][54] In November 1951 USAFSAM, in collaboration with the Lovelace Foundation for Medical Education and Research in Albuquerque, New Mexico, jointly organized and sponsored an international Symposium on the Physics and Medicine of the Upper Atmosphere.
The meeting was held in San Antonio Texas and the results of the symposium were published in a book entitled Physics and Medicine of the Upper Atmosphere with 21 chapters from 34 collaborating scientists.
This was Kennedy's last official act as president and the location of his famous cap over the wall speech inviting the nation to embrace space exploration.
With the vital help of this Aerospace Medical Center, with the help of all those who labor in the space endeavor, with the help and support of all Americans, we will climb this wall with safety and with speed-and we shall then explore the wonders on the other side.In 1996 a new School-house on Brooks Air Force Base was completed (building 775).
