PHS Proud Blog

This true by legal and practical definitions. The term military means "the armed forces of a country." The armed forces of the United States include: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Space Force per U.S.C. Title 10. They are also considered part of the uniformed services.  The Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service is a uniformed service, not a military one. Serving in the Commissioned Corps is considered military service per U.S.C Title 42, "for the purposes of all laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs." So, the USPHS Commissioned Corps is not a military service (NOUN) but serving in...

This USPHS lapel pin is more than just a pin. USPHS Commissioned Corps officers --active, retired, or separated-- can wear this at formal events, and people WILL ask what it represents. This PHS lapel pin comes with the anchor and caduceus in the middle as the main symbol of the Corps. "USPHS Commissioned Corps" lettering is on the top hemisphere and "In Officio Salutis" on the bottom (the PHS service motto).Represent your service and be a proud USPHS veteran at formal events with this USPHS lapel pin!

On July 1st, 1946, what is now known as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially opened in Atlanta, GA. What many may not know is that the CDC was started by medical officers of one of our country's uniformed services: the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (USPHS). It was birthed from WWII and is considered by some to be the largest institutional legacy from the war.The CDC's original name in 1946 was the "Communicable Disease Center;" however, much before that the CDC was spawned from something called the Malaria Control in War Areas (MCWA) program administered...

Memorial Day is meant to honor those who lost their lives while serving in the Armed Forces. We must always remember that the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps has been militarized during many of the great wars, and USPHS officers have lost their lives. USPHS officers first entered war during the Spanish-American war in 1898. They weren't officially militarized at that point, but it called into the question the role of the Service during wartime. The government essentially didn't want to compromise the primary role of protecting the Nation's public health while still utilizing the Service's valuable support...

Modern U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps culture and history wouldn't be complete without hearing from this officer! RADM (ret) Scott Giberson started his U.S. Public Health Service career as a pharmacist in the Indian Health Service (IHS). He was a staunch advocate for advanced pharmacy practice. After responding to the 9/11 anthrax attacks in 2001, he was tapped to serve as senior public health advisor for U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM). He eventually went on to serve as the national IHS HIV/AIDs consultant, chief pharmacy officer for USPHS, director of Commissioned Corps HQ, assistant Surgeon General, and commander of the...