Military Liaison Committee 2019 Report
by Joseph Galante, MD FACS
Mission:
The Military Liaison Committee facilitates military-civilian collaborations in the AAST with the aim of zero preventable deaths after injury and minimal trauma related disability for the Servicemen and women our Nation sends into harm’s way as well as every American at home and abroad.
Spotlight:
It seems appropriate that a week after the country celebrated Memorial Day, the Military Liaison Committee is featured in this addition of the Cutting Edge. Memorial Day is a solemn day in America and focuses on the sacrafices made by servicemen and women in defense of our nation. In this spirit, we must Always Remember those who gave everything in service to our country. We must particularly remember those surgeons who made the greatest sacrafice: John P. Pryor, MAJ, MC USA, Brian Allgood, COL MC USA, and Mark Taylor, MAJ MC USA. Major John Pryor was a trauma surgeon at the University of Pennsylvania and a member of AAST. Major Pryor was killed in a mortar attack in Mosul, Iraq on December 25th, 2008. Colonel Allgood was an orthopedic surgeon and the top medical officer in Iraq. COL Allgood was killed when his Black Hawk helicopter crashed outside of Baghdad on January 20th, 2016. Major Mark Taylor was a general surgeon assigned to the 782nd Main Support Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division. Major Taylor was killed in a rocket attack in Fallujah, Iraq on March 20th, 2004.
Over the past year the committee has remained committed to working in partnership with American College of Surgeons and Dr. Knudson with the implementation of the National Defense Adminsitrative Act (NDAA). Part of our efforts involves a presession at the 2019 AAST Annual meeting put together by Matthew Tadlock, focused the role of GME, military ACS fellowship training, and what success looks like in military civilian partnerships.
The committee focused on outreach and mentorship of military surgeons. While some military surgeons do MIS, bariatrics, and surgical oncology; ALL military surgeons do ACS downrange and the AAST is the natural home organization for them. We are reaching out to all the military surgery specialty leaders to invite all surgeons to attend the annual meeting. Thanks to the work of Peter Rhee, we will be hosting an informal get together for all military members at the annual meeting in Dallas.
Finally, the Military Committee is very proud to offer a scholarship to a military resident/fellow to attend the Annual Meeting. A special thanks to the AAST, Dr Croce, and the AAST Board of Managers for the funding of this scholarship.