LTG(R) Ronald Blanck, DO – From Vietnam Battalion Surgeon to Surgeon General of The US Army

   LTG(R) Ronald Blanck, DO served in multiple leadership positions across the globe in his 32 years in the Army. These assignments include Commander of Berlin Army Hospital, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at the Uniformed Services University, commander of Walter Reed Medical Center, and Surgeon General of the US Army. After his career in the Army, he served as the President of the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. He currently serves as an advisor on bioterrorism issues and an expert in preparing the medical community to respond to mass casualty incidences.    In this episode, he describes how his career in the Army started out in a memorable fashion by being deployed as a Battalion Surgeon to Vietnam weeks after finishing his intern year, and discusses the many lessons learned from this experience. He then had the opportunity to serve at Walter Reed and was an integral faculty member in the early years of the Uniformed Services University rising to the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs. He discusses the importance of USUHS and how it develops doctors prepared to serve in the military. After serving as the Chief of Medicine at Brooke Army Medical center he was then sent to Berlin to be the commander of Berlin Army Hospital and discusses what it was like interacting with the Soviets and his trips to East Berlin. Shortly after serving in Europe he became the commander of Walter Reed and ended his career as the Surgeon General of the US Army and Chief of the U.S. Army Medical Corps. We discuss many of the opportunities and tribulations he experienced while at Walter Reed and later serving at the Pentagon including how he helped shape the DoD's response to Anthrax threats. He shares many insights, historical references, and leadership lessons over a distinguished career. You don’t want to miss this episode!                                             Find out more and join Team WarDocs at www.wardocspodcast.com   The WarDocs Mission is to improve military and civilian healthcare and foster patriotism by honoring the legacy, preserving the oral history, and showcasing career opportunities, experiences, and achievements of military medicine. Listen to the “What We Are For” Episode 47. https://bit.ly/3r87Afm WarDocs- The Military Medicine Podcast is a Non-Profit, Tax-exempt-501(c)(3) Veteran Run Organization run by volunteers. All donations are tax-deductible, and 100% of donations go to honoring and preserving the history, experiences, successes, and lessons learned in military medicine. A tax receipt will be sent to you.  WARDOCS documents the experiences, contributions, and innovations of all military medicine Services, ranks, and Corps who are affectionately called "Docs" as a sign of respect, trust, and confidence on and off the battlefield, demonstrating dedication to the medical care of fellow comrades in arms.         Follow Us on social media. Twitter: @wardocspodcast Facebook: WarDocs Podcast Instagram: @wardocspodcast LinkedIn: WarDocs-The Military Medicine Podcast