06/17/2026
⚓️ Happy 128th Birthday to the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps! 🎂
Today, in Lemoore we celebrated 128 years of the most decorated rate in the U.S. military. Established on June 17, 1898, the Hospital Corps has grown from a small group of dedicated caregivers into the most respected and honored enlisted rating in the United States Navy.
The celebration kicked off early this morning with a high-energy, corpsman-style workout! To keep active-duty members hydrated after working up a sweat, the Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Lemoore Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions (CSADD) passed out ice cold electrolyte beverages. The CSADD team also held signs reminding everyone to stay safe and make good decisions over the upcoming long holiday weekend.
Following the workout, the command’s sailors gathered across the street at the Naval Reserve Center for a ceremony where everyone learned more about the heroic history of the Hospital Corps rate. Corpsmen dressed in different uniforms told stories of momentous and brave sailors who are a part of Navy history.
In a time-honored cake cutting tradition where the eldest corpsmen present, retired Senior Chief Cons Alvarez (enlisted September 1981) and Command Master Chief Eric Morgan (enlisted May 1999), passed a piece of birthday cake to the youngest corpsman, Hospitalman Jozlynn Esquivel (enlisted July 2025). The passing of the cake is a symbol of sharing decades of wisdom and experience to the next generation of corpsmen leaders.