Newly promoted captain administers oath to fellow officer at 30 Medical Brigade promotion ceremony

Two officers of the 30th Medical Brigade marked career milestones during a promotion ceremony at the Maintenance Bay in Resolute Park on Rhine Ordnance Barracks, Jan. 9, as one newly promoted leader immediately assumed responsibility in the same event.

Capt. Bethany Blankenship, executive officer for the 512th Field Hospital Center, was promoted to captain by Peyton Lineberger and 1st Lt. Marina Heitmann. Shortly after the pin-on, Blankenship administered the oath of office to 1st Lt. Christian Dover, executive officer for the 167th Medical Detachment.

Dover was promoted by his wife, Sarah, during the ceremony.

The sequence underscored a defining aspect of Army leadership: advancement in rank is accompanied by immediate responsibility. One officer advanced. Another accepted greater duty. Both did so in the same ceremony.

The 512th Field Hospital Center and the 167th Medical Detachment are assigned to the 30th Medical Brigade, a subordinate unit of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, which enables medical support and sustainment operations across U.S. Army Europe and Africa. The 512th Field Hospital Center provides command and control for subordinate medical units and supports large-scale medical operations, while the 167th Medical Detachment delivers specialized medical capability that contributes to patient care and readiness. Together, the units support the 21st TSC’s mission to sustain the force and maintain medical readiness across the theater.