The surgeon general of the United States Army is the senior-most officer of the U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD). By policy, the surgeon general (TSG) serves as commanding general, U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) as well as head of the AMEDD. The surgeon general's office and staff are known as the Office of the Surgeon General (OTSG) and are located in Falls Church, Virginia.
Since 1959, TSG has been appointed in the grade of lieutenant general. By law, TSG may be appointed from any of the six officer branches of the AMEDD. However, prior to the 43rd surgeon general, Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho — an Army Nurse Corps officer — all appointed and confirmed surgeons general have been Medical Corps officers — military physicians. The incumbent surgeon general is Lieutenant General Mary K. Izaguirre.
Duties As a commanding general, TSG provides advice and assistance to the chief of staff, Army (CSA) and to the secretary of the Army (SECARMY) on all health care matters pertaining to the U.S. Army and its military health care system. The incumbent is responsible for development, policy direction, organization and overall management of an integrated Army-wide health service system and is the medical materiel developer for the Army. These duties include formulating policy regulations on health service support, health hazard assessment and the establishment of health standards. is assisted by the deputy surgeon general.
History
Congress established the Medical Service of the Continental Army on July 27, 1775, and placed a "chief physician & director general" of the Continental Army as its head. The first five surgeons general of the U.S. Army served under this title. An Act of Congress of May 28, 1789, established a "physician general" of the U.S. Army. Only two physicians, doctors Richard Allison and James Craik, served under this nomenclature. A congressional act of March 3, 1813, cited the "physician & surgeon general" of the U.S. Army. That nomenclature remained in place until the Medical Department was established by the Reorganization Act of April 14, 1818. Additionally, physicians assigned to the U.S. Army were not accorded military rank until 1847.
Surgeons general of the U.S. Army and their precursors + Incumbents from July 27, 1775 – including periods of vacancy No. Image Name Dates of tenure Military rank1 Benjamin Church, Jr. July 27, 1775 – October 16, 1775 None2 John Morgan October 16, 1775 – January 1777 None3 William Shippen, Jr. April 11, 1777 – January 17, 1781 None4 John Cochran January 17, 1781 – 1783 None 1783–1792 5 Richard Allison 1792–1796 None 1796 – August 1, 1798 6 James Craik August 1, 1798 – June 15, 1800 None June 15, 1800 – June 11, 1813 7 James Tilton June 11, 1813 – June 15, 1815 None June 15, 1815–April 18, 1818 8 Joseph Lovell April 18, 1818 – October 17, 1836 None9 Thomas Lawson October 17, 1836 – May 15, 1861 Brevet Brigadier General10 Clement Finley May 15, 1861 – April 28, 1862 Brigadier General11 William A. Hammond April 28, 1862 – August 18, 1864 Brigadier General12 Joseph Barnes August 18, 1864 – June 30, 1882 Brigadier General June 30, 1882 – July 3, 1882 13 Charles H. Crane July 3, 1882 – October 10, 1883 Brigadier General14 Robert Murray October 10, 1883 – August 6, 1886 Brigadier General August 6, 1886 – November 18, 1886 15 John Moore November 18, 1886 – 16 August 1890 Brigadier General16 Jedediah Hyde Baxter August 16, 1890 – December 4, 1890 Brigadier General December 4, 1890 – December 23, 1890 17 Charles Sutherland December 23, 1890 – May 30, 1893 Brigadier General18 George Miller Sternberg May 30, 1893 – June 8, 1902 Brigadier General19 William H. Forwood June 8, 1902 – September 7, 1902 Brigadier General20 Robert Maitland O'Reilly September 7, 1902 – January 14, 1909 Brigadier General21 George H. Torney January 14, 1909 – December 27, 1913 Brigadier General22 William C. Gorgas January 1914 – 1918 Major General23 Merritte W. Ireland October 4, 1918 – May 31, 1931 Major General24 Robert U. Patterson 1931–1935 Major General25 Charles R. Reynolds 1935–1939 Major General26 James C. Magee June 1, 1939 – May 31, 1943 Major General27 Norman T. Kirk 1943–1947 Major General28 Raymond W. Bliss 1947–1951 Major General29 George E. Armstrong 1951–1955 Major General30 Silas B. Hays 1955 – June 1959 Major General31 Leonard D. Heaton June 1959 – 1969 Lieutenant General32 Hal B. Jennings October 10, 1969 – October 1, 1973 Lieutenant General33 Richard R. Taylor October 1, 1973 – October 1, 1977 Lieutenant General34 Charles C. Pixley October 1, 1977 – September 20, 1981 Lieutenant General35 Bernhard T. Mittemeyer October 1, 1981 – February 1, 1985 Lieutenant General36 Quinn H. Becker February 1, 1985 – May 31, 1988 Lieutenant General37 Frank F. Ledford Jr. June 1, 1988 – June 30, 1992 Lieutenant General38 Alcide M. Lanoue September 8, 1992 – September 30, 1996 Lieutenant General39 Ronald R. Blanck October 1, 1996 – September 22, 2000 Lieutenant General40 James Peake September 22, 2000 – July 8, 2004 Lieutenant General July 8, 2004 – September 30, 2004 41 Kevin C. Kiley September 30, 2004 – March 12, 2007 Lieutenant General (retired as Major General) March 12, 2007 – December 11, 2007 42 Eric Schoomaker December 11, 2007 – December 5, 2011 Lieutenant General43 Patricia Horoho December 5, 2011 – December 3, 2015 Lieutenant General December 3, 2015 – December 11, 2015 44 Nadja WestDecember 11, 2015 – July 19, 2019 Lieutenant General July 19, 2019 – October 17, 2019 45 R. Scott DingleOctober 17, 2019 – January 25, 2024 Lieutenant General46 Mary K. IzaguirreJanuary 25, 2024 – present Lieutenant General
Note: The AMEDD Museum at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, has a display on the Army Surgeons General, including images of each one, except for Richard Allison.
Agencies, centers, offices, and programs within the OTSG
Military Vaccine Agency (MILVAX) Borden Institute U.S. Army Medical Information Technology Center (USAMITC) Army Human Research Protections Office (AHRPO) Pharmacovigilance Center
See also
Library of the Surgeon General's Office, now the National Library of Medicine Medical Corps (United States Army) Surgeon General of the United States Surgeon General of the United States Navy Surgeon General of the United States Air Force
Further reading
References and notes
Heitman, Francis B. (1903), Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, from Its Organization, September 29, 1789, to March 2, 1903; Washington, DC: Government Printing Office; 2 vol. (Vol. 1, pp 41–42 details the Medical Department.)
External links
OTSG Portal Surgeon General Consultant Program The Surgeons General of the U.S. Army and Their Predecessors at the Office of Medical History, OTSG Website