One of the Army's oldest installations, Fort Sam Houston was started in the mid 1870s. It was originally just used as a storage depot. During World War 1, a lot of aviation innovations were come up with at the army base. Known to some as the Home of Army Medicine and to others as Home of the Combat Medic, Fort Sam Houston became the primary training facility for the Army after World War 2. Fort Sam Houston is today one of the premiere military medical training facilities in the entire world.
In 1975, the army post was officially designated a National Historic Landmark because of the many contributions to the United States that had come from there. Today, more than 25,000 people are employed at Fort Sam Houston. The installation is home to the Great Plains Regional Medical Command, Headquarters Dental Command, Headquarters Veterinary Command, the Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute, the Institute for Surgical Research (trauma/burn center), and the Army Medical Department NCO Academy to name just a few. The army base has some of the oldest army buildings in existence today, which is part of the reason it became a National Historic Landmark.