Health Facility Planning Agency cases colors, commemorates decades of service

By Captain Robin T. Cunningham

FALLS CHURCH, Va. - The U.S. Army Health Facility Planning Agency formally cased its colors during an inactivation ceremony at Defense Health Headquarters, Sept. 22, marking the completion of the organization’s service to Army Medicine and the nation.

“Fifty-one years ago, the Health Facility Planning Agency was established to keep faith with our warfighters and their families by ensuring they receive care in facilities that met the modern standards of the time,” said Lt. Gen. Mary K. Izaguirre, The Surgeon General and commanding general, U.S. Army Medical Command. “For over five decades, HFPA has been the architect behind the walls of military medicine.”

The ceremony brought together current and former members of the agency, Army Medicine leaders, distinguished guests and partners to recognize HFPA’s longstanding role in synchronizing facilities and infrastructure in support of medical readiness.

Izaguirre presided over the ceremony. Col. Ricardo J. Rodriguez, commander of the Health Facility Planning Agency, joined Izaguirre as part of the official party.

Following the arrival of the official party, the National Anthem and an invocation delivered by Col. Tracy Hudgins, attendees witnessed the casing of the HFPA colors. The ceremonial act signified the successful completion of the unit’s service to the nation.

As the colors were cased, the ceremony narrator recounted the agency’s history and contributions to Army Medicine. Established Sept. 1, 1975, HFPA centralized the Army Health Facility Construction Program. Over the following five decades, the agency adapted to changes in medical technology, healthcare delivery, building standards and facility lifecycle management.

HFPA’s legacy extends beyond planning and programming Army medical facilities. Its personnel supported operational planning, humanitarian assistance and disaster-relief missions around the world. Over the past 30 years, specialized planning teams deployed to more than 30 countries on six continents and completed more than 65 humanitarian, disaster-relief and operational-support missions in support of geographic combatant commands.

“To the military and civilian workforce of the Health Facility Planning Agency: what you have built over fifty-one years will remain woven into the fabric of our Army,” Izaguirre said.

She added, “Your technical expertise, innovation, and selfless service have safeguarded our nation’s most precious asset: the health and well-being of our Soldiers and their families.”

At the height of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure effort, HFPA managed more than $6 billion in active projects with a staff of more than 100 personnel. Throughout its history, the agency’s central purpose remained the same: integrating facilities and infrastructure to support medical readiness and provide safe, effective environments for Army Medicine personnel and patients.

The inactivation resulted from the Army Medicine Transformation Initiative, which realigned HFPA’s organizational structure while preserving essential Army health facility planning, facilities integration and operational-support functions.

Following the Army Medicine Transformation Initiative realignment, the Health Facility Planning Agency transitioned to the Health Facility Planning & Integration Directorate. The directorate will continue providing health facility planning expertise, managing programs and executing projects that enable Army readiness and support Army Medicine across the full spectrum of operations.

“This transition is not an ending; it is an opportunity to carry forward HFPA’s hard-earned legacy,” Rodriguez said. “Together, we will continue developing the next generation of health facility planners, strengthening our professional community, and ensuring Army Medicine has the resilient, responsive infrastructure required to care for Soldiers and sustain the force in the most demanding environments.”

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