The original Army General Hospital was located at Fort McNair and commanded by Major William C. Borden. After much petitioning by Major Borden and his friend and college classmate, Major Walter Reed, the Army decided to move the hospital to its current site in Bethesda, Maryland. Major Reed was best known for his discovery of the transmission of yellow fever by mosquitoes. Unfortunately he died from complications after an appendectomy before the hospital was completed, but in 1909 it was opened and named in his honor.

Over the past century the original Walter Reed General Hospital saw the addition of many new buildings, educational institutions, a new hospital, and parking pavilions. The most recent transformation came during one of the last rounds of BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure). In 2011, Walter Reed Army Medical Center was combined with the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC).The NNMC was renamed the “Walter Reed National Military Medical Center” (WRNMMC or “Walter Reed Bethesda”).

Today, Walter Reed Bethesda is one of the country’s largest and most renowned military medical centers and annually serves over a million beneficiaries. The facility boasts 243 acres, 274 beds, and more than 2.4 million square feet of clinical space. Also known as the President’s hospital, Walter Reed Bethesda provides care for the President and Vice-President of the United States, members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, and sometimes foreign military and ambassadors.

Bethesda, Md., is located just northeast of Southeast DC and lies inside the I-495 Beltway. Here you’ll have easy access to the Metro, local bus routes, and several major highways. Military housing in the DC area is available at either Bellevue (Lincoln Military Housing – enlisted only) or Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, which are both located across the river in Southwest DC. Glenhaven is a nearby community in Silver Spring, Md., which offers apartments and townhomes.