135th Birthday of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

WHEREAS, on January 4, 1889, the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps was established; and

WHEREAS, the USPHS Commissioned Corps is one of the nation’s eight branches of uniformed services dedicated to delivering the nation's public health promotion and disease prevention programs and advancing public health science; and

WHEREAS, USPHS Commissioned Corps officers serve in agencies across the government in eleven professional categories including physicians, dieticians, therapists, health service officers, environmental health officers, pharmacists, nurses, dentists, veterinarians, scientists, and engineers; and

WHEREAS, for over a century, the Corps has displayed unwavering commitment through healthcare provision; and

WHEREAS, the Commissioned Corps emergency response teams are trained and equipped to respond to public health crises and national emergencies such as natural disasters, disease outbreaks, or terrorist attacks, both here and abroad; and

WHEREAS, USPHS Commissioned Corps Officers have responded to emergencies such as the Ebola response in West Africa, Hurricane Katrina, the earthquake in Haiti, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth is home to many Corps members and their families based at Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth; and

WHEREAS, today, more than 6,000 highly trained USPHS Commissioned Corps officers nationwide contribute their modern expertise to the rich history of the Corps and serve under the leadership of the Assistant Secretary for Health and the Surgeon General; and

WHEREAS, we celebrate the Corps' 135th birthday, honoring their enduring service and contributions to the Commonwealth and the nation;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize January 4, 2024, as the 135^TH BIRTHDAY OF THE UNITED STATES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE COMMISSIONED CORPS in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.

Governor of Virginia

Proclamations