CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea— A dedication ceremony was held Sep. 20 to officially commemorate the naming of the new Brian D. Allgood Army Community Hospital (BDAACH) at Camp Humphreys, South Korea. Allgood was commander of the 18th Medical Command and 121st General Hospital, and the U.S. Forces Korea surgeon from 2004-2006 at Yongsan Garrison. He made the ultimate sacrifice on Jan. 20, 2007, as his UH-60 helicopter was shot down, by enemy fire, while deployed to Iraq. That hospital, located in Seoul, will close in the fall as part of a relocation of U.S. forces on the peninsula. His wife, mother, and other family members were present for the dedication and ribbon cutting.
The new hospital is a part of the $10.7 billion, multi-year, massive relocation effort known as the Yongsan Relocation Program (YRP). The YRP relocated most U.S. Forces and headquarters United Nations Command activities from the Seoul metropolitan area to areas south, most notably to U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) Humphreys. USAG Humphreys has grown exponentially over the past 10 years due to projects led by the Far East District.
"The ROK-U.S. alliance continues to get stronger and stronger. This ribbon cutting ceremony represents a culmination of effort displayed by our outstanding U.S. and host-nation employees, who worked in close partnership with our friends and allies in the Republic of Korea to advance the quality of life for Americans serving abroad in this great country," said Brig. Gen. Thomas Tickner, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pacific Ocean Division commanding general. "The completion of Brian Allgood Army Community Hospital also brings us one step closer to full consolidation from Seoul to U.S. Army Garrison - Humphries, a modern base and smart city with better facilities than ever before, and completed with mostly Republic of Korea funding. Combine this with the strategic capabilities that this installation provides, it's clear to see that the U.S. is here to stay in support of our host-nation partners.”
The district has been at the forefront of ensuring the completion of this world-class facility. The hospital offers the highest quality of medical care for service members, family members, civilians, and retirees. As the primary U.S. military treatment facility in Korea, the BDAACH provides routine and specialty health care for all eligible beneficiaries on the peninsula.
Dave Fortune, Chief, Health Facility Project Office - Korea, worked closely with Far East District Humphreys area office engineers Mike Mouw, Roger St. Louis, Jay Kim, and Kenith Ward to ensure construction of the facility was in compliance with medical facility standards.
“The Far East District team has delivered one of the most cutting edge and medically advanced U.S. community hospitals in the overseas Pacific region, “said Fortune. “Not only will this vital facility provide safe and highly reliable health care for eligible beneficiaries across the peninsula, but it will stand as a testament to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' commitment to delivering quality facilities.”
Having a world-class facility named after Brian D. Allgood is fitting based on the remarks given by current senior leaders and retired Command Sgt. Maj. Ricardo Alcantara, who served alongside Allgood as his command sergeant major at the 18th Medical Command and The United States Military Academy at West Point.
“As a Soldier, physician and leader Brian was others focused,” said Alcantara. “He put others first. At all times and circumstances.
Alcantara became emotional during the end of his remarks as he went on to list Allgood’s titles as father, son, brother and describing his strongly held beliefs.
“His [Allgood] philosophy included staying focused and never forgetting what is important to you,” said Alcantara. “When the going gets tough, he said, take a knee, breathe in and drive on.”
The new BDAACH is the largest medical asset on U.S. Army Garrison-Humphreys, medically equipped to support 65,000 eligible beneficiaries and 5,000 inpatient admissions. BDAACH's Ambulatory Care Center can provide support for 56,300 eligible beneficiaries and 200,000 annual outpatient visits. BDAACH has expanded from its previous 38-bed set-up to 68 total inpatient beds consisting of six intensive care unit (ICU) beds, 40 medical/surgical units, four operating rooms, eight labor and delivery (L&D) beds and 14 behavioral health beds. A 1,000 space parking garage along with 949 surface parking spaces support the new facility. BDAACH is scheduled to be fully operational on Nov. 15.