44th Medical Brigade change of command ceremony 2026

After almost two years of committed leadership, Col. Caryn R. Vernon relinquished command of the 44th Medical Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, to Col. Christina M. Buchner at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, June 11, 2026.

Vernon joined the Army in 1997 after graduating from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Medical Service Corps and began her career with the 44th Medical Brigade. Following her assignment as Director, Strategic Initiatives Group, Office of the Surgeon General, Falls Church, Virginia, Vernon assumed command of the 44th Medical Brigade on July 10, 2024. As commander, she oversaw the activation of the Army’s first Prolonged Care Augmentation Detachment and the establishment of a Hospital Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana.

“The 44th Medical Brigade is not just any medical unit,” said Vernon. “We are the Contingency Corps’ Medical Brigade, the tip of the spear for medical care and support to our Geographic Combatant Commands, responding to global missions and contingency operations.”

The 44th Medical Brigade welcomes Col. Christina Buchner as commander. Buchner assumes command with 28 years of Army experience, having enlisted in 1998 as a Dental Assistant before commissioning through the Reserve Officer Training Corps as an Army Medical Service Corps Officer.

“I am deeply honored to succeed a lineage of leaders who have worked tirelessly to extend the operational reach of the mighty XVIII Airborne Corps by amassing medical capabilities to support operations both foreign and domestic,” said Buchner.

The 44th Medical Brigade deploys to provide medical expertise to servicemembers and civilians, collaborating with joint and multinational partners to enhance the health, welfare and readiness of those they serve. The Soldiers train intensively to prepare for anything, from hurricane relief to global health emergencies.

Under Col. Caryn Vernon’s leadership, the 44th Medical Brigade provided medical support to numerous deployments, proving their importance as enablers of the warfighter by providing medical care and will continue to do so under the command of Col. Christina Buchner.