The 44th Medical Brigade, established on December 30, 1965, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, was activated on January 1, 1966. It was the U.S. Army's second operational medical brigade and the first to support ground combat operations when deployed to Vietnam in 1966. During the Vietnam War, the brigade provided comprehensive medical support, including hospitalization and surgical care, to U.S. Army personnel, Free World Military Assistance Forces, and Vietnamese civilians affected by the conflict. After Vietnam, the brigade was inactivated on March 19, 1973, at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.
Reactivated on September 21, 1974, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the 44th Medical Brigade was assigned to the XVIII Airborne Corps. It has since participated in major operations, including Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada, Operation Just Cause in Panama, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The brigade has also been involved in humanitarian missions, such as hurricane relief efforts following Hurricanes Andrew, Katrina, and Rita. On October 16, 2001, it was reorganized and redesignated as the 44th Medical Command, becoming a multi-component unit. It reverted to the 44th Medical Brigade on April 24, 2010, continuing its mission to provide health care and medical services to the Fort Bragg community and maintain readiness for combat support operations.