Force Master Chief Terry Prince, Navy Medicine's force master chief and director of the Hospital Corps, made his first trip to San Antonio since assuming his role as the Navy's top hospital corpsman, Nov. 16-18.

Prince came to San Antonio to speak with senior leaders and Sailors from various Navy Medicine education and training commands.

During his time in the area he visited Navy Medicine Education and Training Command (NMETC) and Navy Medicine Training Support Center (NMTSC) to discuss the current education and training of hospital corpsmen, as well as potential changes in the future.

"It's been an awesome visit," said Prince during an all-hands call. "There's no more important place, especially as we're developing and growing hospital corpsmen and the technicians."

Prince encouraged feedback from everyone with whom he spoke during small meetings and large all-hands calls, saying he wanted to know what might not be going right in order to make necessary changes.

"If you're a Sailor in Navy Medicine, it's my responsibility to make sure the road of opportunity and excellence is paved for you," Prince said. "That's what I do. And if that's not what I'm doing, you need to tell me that."

Many different items of discussion came up regarding the training and qualifications of hospital corpsmen, as well as the duties and responsibilities of the instructors. Hospital Corps students and staff alike left the all-hands calls with a good first impression of their new director.

"It was great to meet the new force master chief," said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Tristan McCauley, an instructor for the Basic Medical Technician Corps Program. "He seems like a really down to earth, good-humored man. I think he'll keep our corps strong and on the right path."

NMETC manages Navy Medicine's formal education and training programs. NMETC, NMTSC, Navy Medicine Operational Training Center, and Navy Medicine Professional Development Center are part of the Navy Medicine team, a global health care network of Navy medical professionals around the world who provide high-quality health care to eligible beneficiaries. Navy Medicine personnel deploy with Sailors and Marines worldwide, providing critical mission support aboard ships, in the air, under the sea and on the battlefield.

For more news from Navy Medicine Education and Training Command, visit http://www.navy.mil/.