The 30th Medical Brigade began as the 30th Medical Regiment on October 1, 1933, in the state of Texas. The unit was redesignated as the 30th Medical Group on September 8, 1943. In 1944, the unit was transferred to Liverpool, England and onward to Omaha Beach. On December 4, 1944, the Group was reassigned to the Ninth Army in support of actions in the Rhine and Ruhr Valleys and in the drive to the Elbe River. At the end of World War II, the unit deployed home to Camp Swift, Texas on August 30, 1945. The 30th Medical Group served in a training status at Camp Swift, Texas; Camp Polk, Louisiana; and Fort Benning, Georgia. It was inactivated at Fort Benning in 1949.

On March 25, 1953, the Group was reactivated in Korea where it coordinated the operations of all medical units in the Eighth Army, as well as providing primary medical and dental care and evacuation for United Nations troops. In 1955 the Group was transferred to Seventh Army, United States Army Europe at Landstuhl, Germany. In 1965, the 30th Medical Group was attached to Headquarters, 7th Medical Brigade and became part of the US Army’s first medical brigade.

The Group deployed in December 1990 to Southwest Asia in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The Group was assigned to the 332nd Medical Brigade and became the primary medical support to VII Corps and Allied fighting forces. On March 19, 1992, the 30th Medical Group was reorganized as the 30th Medical Brigade, a wartime command and control element of V Corps and a peacetime community health care agent of 7th Medical Command. With the inactivation of 7th Medical Command in 1994, all 30th Medical Brigade TO&E elements were assigned to V Corps with the Headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany. From November 1995 until December 1996, the Headquarters, 30th Medical Brigade and many of its subordinate units were deployed to Hungary, Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina in support of Operation Joint Endeavor.

On February 13, 2003, the 30th Medical Brigade and many of its subordinate units deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Brigade led all V Corps medical operations, with over 78 units and 5,000 Soldiers. The 30th Medical Brigade treated thousands of American and Coalition Soldiers, Enemy Prisoners of War, and Iraqi civilians. The 30th Medical Brigade patch became a symbol of lifesaving hope throughout Iraq. The Brigade also worked closely with the Iraqi Ministry of Health to rebuild the Iraqi medical infrastructure. 

During Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 30th Medical Brigade became the largest medical brigade ever deployed and achieved the lowest Died of Wound and Disease and Non-Battle Injury rates in the history of war to that time. On September 27, 2005, the 30th Medical Brigade provided the highest standard of medical care on the battlefield for American and coalition Service Members, civilians, and enemy combatants. The 30th Medical Brigade redeployed on September 18, 2006.

On October 16, 2008, the Brigade was reorganized as the 30th Medical Command (Deployment Support), with a mission of theater level medical command and control, health service support, force health protection, and medical synchronization of assigned and attached medical forces in support of US Army Europe, 7th Army, or any directed global contingency operation. The reorganization aligned with the creation of Medical Commands in the Army Reserve to support Geographical Combatant Commanders.

On May 13, 2009, Task Force 30th Medical Command (Deployment Support) uncased its colors at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan and became the first Theater Medical Command in Afghanistan. Task Force 30th Medical Command (Deployment Support) provided centralized planning and expanded roles in health service support, force health protection, medical logistics, patient movement, and health care policy. On October 12, 2012, Task Force 30th Medical Command (Deployment Support) was called on again to deploy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. While serving as the Medical Command for the Combined Joint Operations Area – Afghanistan, the command ensured medical forces were available and appropriately arrayed across the Afghanistan Theater.

On October 16, 2013, the 30th Medical Command (Deployment Support) was reorganized as the 30th Medical Brigade, with a mission of theater-level mission command, health service support, force health protection, and medical synchronization of assigned and attached medical forces in support of US Army Europe and the 21st Theater Sustainment Command and any directed global-contingency operation. 30th Medical Brigade remains America’s only forward stationed Medical Brigade, strategically positioned to provide mission command of medical operations to the European, African, and Central Command theaters.