Galson Named Acting ASH - Commissioned Officers Association

C O M M I S S I O N E D O F F I C E R S A S S O C I A T I O N
Frontline
COA
Vol. 46, Issue 1 Salus Populi Suprema Lex Este January/February 2009
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
My Least Favorite
Subject
Jerry Farrell
Executive Director
Dear COA and COF
Friends,
There is no dearth
of topics for me to
address in this first
issue of Frontline for
the New Year. I don’t
think the COA and COF staffs have
been busier during my seven years
as Executive Director than we have in
the last several weeks. On the
Association side, we have been hard
at work on several legislative issues
promoting the Commissioned Corps,
as well as other important issues of
concern to our members. Certainly,
the many press reports about
Dr. Sanjay Gupta as the potential
Surgeon General nominee have kept
us fully occupied since this news
broke on January 6th. More on that
elsewhere in this issue.
On the Foundation side, we are
busy putting the final touches on the
June conference – online registration
opens this month; and keeping up
with the myriad projects on which the
Foundation is engaged.
But, of necessity, I am going to
spend most of my space this month
speaking to a subject that transcends
both Association and
Foundation and gravely impacts current
as well as future operations of
(See Executive Director, page 8)
Galson Named Acting ASH
Dr. Sanjay Gupta Emerges as Leading Contender
for Surgeon General
In a surprise move late in the afternoon of
January 22nd, Acting Surgeon General
Rear Admiral Steven Galson was named
the HHS Acting Assistant Secretary for
Health (ASH). Admiral Galson will serve
concurrently in both posts until permanent
nominations are made by the
President and confirmed by the Senate.
Galson replaces Dr. Don Wright as Acting
ASH. Dr. Wright, the Principal Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Health, and a career
official, had only recently been named to
replace Dr. Joxel Garcia, the last Bush
appointee as ASH, who left office on
January 20th.
The move to name RADM Galson as
the Acting ASH clearly indicates a certain
recognition of his integrity and professionalism
as Acting Surgeon General by the
incoming Obama Administration. His elevation
to the Acting ASH position also
reflects well on the entire PHS Commissioned
Corps as an institution.
Admiral Galson’s
appointment as Acting
ASH does not,
however, provide any
indication that President
Obama may be
backing away from his
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
intention to nominate
Dr. Sanjay Gupta of
Atlanta as Surgeon General. Dr. Gupta, a
well-regarded neurologist, and world
famous CNN medical journalist has long
been known to covet the Surgeon General
post. COA learned that Dr. Gupta was
RADM Steven Galson, USPHS
informing acquaintances that he would be
the next Surgeon General on January 2nd
and various media outlets carried the story
on January 6th that he had been selected by
President Obama as the Surgeon General
nominee.
COA’s position on the possibility of a
Gupta nomination as Surgeon General has
often been misrepresented in various newspaper
or online stories. As the organization
representing an independent voice for the
uniformed PHS Commissioned Corps officers,
COA’s position on the selection of a
Surgeon General has been, over the years,
consistent, simple, and straightforward. We
believe that any commander of a uniformed
service should be selected from within the
(See Galson, page 18)

BENEFITS OF YOUR
COA MEMBERSHIP
CAPITOL HILL REPRESENTATION
COA legislation on Capitol Hill
continually supports all Commissioned
Corps officers – active, inactive
reserve, and retired.
LOCAL REPRESENTATION
COA branches generate new
venues for meeting fellow officers within
your local area while providing a forum for
the discussion of concerns within
the Commissioned Corps.
ANNUAL MEETING
With a mixture of business and pleasure,
COA’s annual meeting invites colleagues
from around the country to gather to
discuss new scientific presentations
while stimulating open forums about
health-related issues.
INSURANCE PROGRAMS
COA enables members to
participate in several low-cost
insurance programs that may
continue after leaving the PHS as
long as your membership in COA
remains current.
FRONTLINE
COA’s newsletter reports on
monthly activities and items of
interest to COA members about
the Corps & COA.
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
COA offers thousands of dollars
towards college scholarships
for children and spouses of
COA members.
PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLICATION
DISCOUNTS
COA members receive a 10% discount
on subscriptions to Public Health Reports,
the journal of the Public Health Service;
and discounts of up to 50% on selected
materials available from the Public Health
Foundation. Visit the COA website for
more information.
AVIS & BUDGET RENTAL DISCOUNT
Members enjoy discount rates on
Avis and Budget rentals through
COA’s website.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
A Brighter Future for Public Health?
Anew Administration and a new
Congress are now settled in. How will
public health fare in this new environment?
In the midst of a deepening recession,
and after years of no real
growth, in the small portion of the
federal budget called discretionary
spending, can the outlook
for public health programs possibly
be good?
On January 20, as
President Obama and the
First Lady made the rounds
of official inaugural balls,
the new president took
advantage of opportunities
to sketch his
vision for America.
He mentioned “a public
health system that works
for everybody.” What did
he mean, exactly? I have no idea. But I
like the fact that at 10:35 on inauguration
night, on the dance floor at the
MTV Youth Ball, he would have on his
mind “a public health system that works
for everybody.”
Economic recovery and public
health. In Congress, the idea that economic
recovery demands attention to
public health is gaining traction. In mid-
January, the House of Representatives
finished its draft of a stimulus package. It
includes proposed increases in funding
for state health departments, prevention
block grants, chronic disease programs,
environmental and occupational health
research, injury prevention, advanced
biomedical research and emergency
preparedness, and immunizations.
At this writing, the Senate’s draft version
of a stimulus package has yet to be
released, but it is reasonable to expect
that it will include similar one-time
infusions of money for public health
programs.
Congressional Public Health
Caucus. Months before the 2008 elections,
three members of the U.S. House
of Representatives formed a study group
to explore public health needs that
should be addressed in comprehensive
health reform legislation. Representatives
Jim McGovern (D-MA), Kay Granger
(R-TX), and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-
CA) invited interested organizations to
join the ongoing conversation, and nearly
two dozen groups, including COA,
accepted.
These Capitol Hill discussions
focused on chronic disease, infectious
diseases, health disparities and
minority populations, health
diplomacy, global public
health, strengthening the
office of the Surgeon General,
public health workforce
issues, the business community’s
interest in public health,
and – a particular frustration of
health policy wonks – the
refusal of the Congressional Budget
Office to recognize that health savings
can result from effective prevention
programs.
It is not yet clear how items on the
resulting “working list of public health
priorities,” pulled together by the Campaign
for Public Health, will be reflected
in legislative proposals. At least there is a
list.
In the Senate, too, there is recognition
that health care reform legislation should
include public health. To that end,
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) has been
assigned responsibility for the public
health part of comprehensive health care
reform legislation. We hope to meet with
his health appropriations staff, and we
will be trying again to secure funding for
the Health and Human Services Department’s
proposed new Health and
Medical Response (HAMR) teams.
Although the Department repeatedly has
sought modest funding ($30 million
annually) to support emergency preparedness
training for these teams of
PHS officers, it has not been successful.
(See Legislative Update, page 17)
2 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

COA Meets with Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman
On Thursday, January 15th, COA’s
Executive Director, and COA life member,
retired RADM Jerrold Michael, met
privately with Senator Daniel Inouye, D-
HI, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations
Committee to discuss funding for the
PHS Commissioned Corps. The meeting
took place in the Senator’s private “hideaway”
office just off the Capitol Rotunda.
Admiral Michael and Executive Director
Farrell reviewed the recent history of appropriated
funding for the Commissioned
Corps, stressing that the universally agreed
upon need to transform and expand the
Corps has not translated into the appropriated
funds necessary to complete the job.
Farrell pointed out that the Commissioned
Corps is specifically tasked under
ESF-8 of the National Response Framework
as the primary federal public health
emergency response force, but that tasking
has not been accompanied by the funding
required to outfit, train, and deploy Corps
officers as required by the plan. Rather, that
funding is provided to the office of the
Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and
Response. It is unreasonable, Farrell suggested,
to expect the Corps to be able to fulfill
its rapidly expanding responsibilities in
public health emergency preparedness and
response absent any resources to do so.
RADM Michael and Executive Director
Farrell also discussed the proposed Health
and Medical Response (HAMR) teams that
have been denied funding for the last two
years. There appears to be some unofficial,
but effective opposition to funding HAMR
teams from within the National Disaster
Medical System (NDMS) teams where
some well-connected individuals believe the
HAMR teams will displace NDMS.
Farrell explained to Senator Inouye that,
in fact, the Commissioned Corps has and
continues to bear the brunt of public health
emergency response. Over the last two calendar
years, there have been a total of 47
public health emergency responses requiring
personnel deployment. Only four of
these have been ESF-8 responses involving
both the NDMS and Commissioned
Corps. The remaining 43 have been solely
the responsibility of the Commissioned
Corps, placing a difficult, unfunded burden
Left to Right - Senator Inouye, RADM Michael, CAPT Farrell.
on the Corps and straining the Corps’ relationships
with the many agencies and operating
divisions from which the deploying
officers are routinely drawn.
Chairman Inouye was receptive to the
WELCOME NEW COA MEMBERS
LTJG Bernadyne A. Agan, White Mountain
LTJG Kristen Coaty, White Mountain
LCDR Adam L. Cohen, Atlanta
LCDR Patricia D. Corbin, West Virginia
LT Patrick B. Cunningham, Unaffiliated
LTJG Melanie Drayton, Unaffiliated
LT Kristina E. Estes, District of Columbia
LT Mary E. Evans, New England
LCDR Scott Filler, Atlanta
LT Zhengqin Fu, District of Columbia
LT Denise M. Gaughan, West Virginia
LTJG Shanieka D. Gibson, Unaffiliated
LT Arnell G. Gish, Southwest Oklahoma
LTJG Zachary D. Grinnell, Southwest
Oklahoma
LTJG Craig A. Grunenfelder, Aberdeen
LCDR John Halpin, Atlanta
LT Michael Harrison, Southwest Oklahoma
LTJG B. Joplin, Southwest Oklahoma
LT Benjamin S. Kanten, Central Texas
LT Joseph D. Kelly, District of Columbia
arguments put forth on behalf of the
Commissioned Corps and agreed to take up
the matter with his committee. We remain
optimistic that Corps funding will be a priority
for the Committee in the future.
LT Colleen Kerr, Atlanta
LT Jesse Larson, Dallas
LCDR Jerald L. Mahlau-Heinert, SoCal
LT Tarissa Mitchell, Atlanta
LCDR Ferrel V. Nelson, North Central
LCDR Laveda Odom, Unaffiliated
LCDR Christine K. Olson, Evergreen
LT Alpa Patel-Larson, Atlanta
LCDR John C. Pearson, Kodiak
LT Kimberly Rains, District of Columbia
LCDR Rose A. Riley, Unaffiliated
LT Angela Spruill, North Carolina
LCDR Robert J. Steelman, Portland
LT Robert Titchener, Rio Grande
CDR Jay K. Varma, Unaffiliated
CDR Joseph W. Verge, Unaffiliated
LT David Wheeler, New England
LTJG Sherri Wheeler, New England
LCDR Eileen L. Yee, Atlanta
LCDR Fuyuen Y. Yip, Atlanta
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 • COA FRONTLINE 3

Join COA’s Grassroots Campaign to Get PHS Included in
New GI Bill; Member Support Deemed Critical
Contributed By LCDR Jonathan Rash and CAPT Steve Rosenthal
The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational and guidance about engaging in the political
process as a member of a uniformed
Assistance Act of 2008, a.k.a. the new
G.I. Bill, became law on June 30, 2008, service. This information is posted on the
and includes significant expansion of educational
benefits. The Bill takes effect on lainitiatives.cfm. It is hoped that this infor-
COA website at http://www.coausphs.org/
August 1, 2009, and is currently undergoing
a process of technical corrections to have in participating in such efforts.
mation will attenuate the reluctance people
remove inconsistencies and obstacles to This is the first time that COA is
implementation that were drafted in the attempting to mobilize its membership to
original legislation. Most importantly, the participate in a legislative effort. With the
new G.I. Bill, as passed, excludes PHS and
NOAA officers from receiving the same
educational benefits as other uniformed
services; historically, the GI Bill program
has always included PHS officers since its
inception during World War II.
Fixing the GI Bill has been COA’s top
legislative priority for the past year. Our
organization has done extensive lobbying
to build support to make the technical corrections
to include PHS officers. For example,
COA has written to all the members of
the Senate’s Committee on Veterans
Affairs, has contacted their legislative directors,
and has met personally with key decision-makers,
including the chairman of the
Senate Veterans Affair Committee, Sen.
Daniel Akaka (D-HI). There have been
indications that our message was heard,
and that this was a technical error oversight
not meant to slight the PHS.
However, placed in the broader context
the 111th Congress faces, including the
economic crisis and the transition to a new
administration, correcting the GI Bill to
include PHS will assume a lower importance
without extra effort from our
members.
To accomplish this goal, the COA
Board of Directors, through its Legislation
and Benefits Committee, is encouraging all
PHS officers, active duty and retired, to
contact their congressional representatives,
asking them to support the technical correction.
Well-written, thoughtful letters are
one of the most effective ways Americans
have of influencing law-makers.
To assist officers, COA has prepared tips
for effective letter writing, sample letters,
ongoing Commissioned Corps transformation,
and the new administration’s plan for
health care reform, there will undoubtedly
be other important issues affecting the
strength of our public health infrastructure
which we will want to influence. Combining
COA’s lobbying activities with individual
members’ civic participation to voice
their concerns can be a powerful force to
ensure success.
4 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

FDA Names New Foreign Directors for Europe and Latin America
January 7, 2009, was the official opening
date of the new location of the FDA Latin
America Regional Office. Costa Rica is the
fifth new foreign FDA location, after Beijing,
Guangzhou, and Shanghai, which were
opened in November 2008, and Brussels,
which was opened in December 2008.
Further foreign locations scheduled for official
openings in 2009 include New Delhi,
Mumbai, Mexico City, London, Parma,
Amman, Tel Aviv, and a yet to be finalized city
in South America. With these new openings,
RADM Linda Tollefson, USPHS was
approved as the new Director of the FDA
Europe Regional Office in Brussels and
RADM Paul Seligman, USPHS as the new
Director of the FDA Latin America Regional
Office in Costa Rica.
RADM Tollefson, a Veterinary Officer, is
joining OIP as the Director of the FDA
Europe Regional Office. She will report to
the Associate Commissioner for International
Programs. Admiral Tollefson is presently the
Assistant Commissioner for Science in the
Office of Science and Health Coordination.
She also serves as Chair of the Research
Involving Human Subjects Committee, the
IRB for all research supported by FDA using
human research subjects. RADM Tollefson is
also the FDA representative to the Office of
the Surgeon General, serving on the Surgeon
General’s Policy Advisory Council and overseeing
the implementation of Commissioned
Corps policies and directives for FDA’s 800
Commissioned Corps officers.
RADM Tollefson is also involved in several
FDA science issues, including serving as the
FDA Co-Chair, with CDC and NIH, of the
Federal Inter-Agency Task Force on
Antimicrobial Resistance. The Task Force is
responsible for coordinating cross-agency and
department efforts to reduce and mitigate the
effects of antimicrobial resistance. The Task
Force is in the final stages of revising its
Action Plan to Combat Antimicrobial
Resistance, which will serve as a blueprint for
the federal government in addressing its
efforts on resistance for the next 3-5 years.
RADM Seligman, a physician, is joining
OIP as the Director of the FDA Latin
America Regional Office. He will report to
the Associate Commissioner for International
Programs. Admiral Seligman is presently the
RADM Linda Tollefson, USPHS
Associate Director for Safety Policy and
Communication at CDER, where he directs
the program responsible for the Drug Safety
Board and plays a central role in implementing
safety and communications initiatives that
affect the drug regulatory enterprise. He previously
served as the Director of the Office of
Pharmacoepidemiology and Statistical
Science in CDER where he directed FDA’s
post-marketing drug surveillance, epidemiology
and biostatistics programs that included
providing the leadership, direction, planning,
and policy formulation for many of the
Center’s risk assessment, risk management,
and risk communication programs.
RADM Paul Seligman, USPHS
Prior to joining the FDA in July 2001,
Dr. Seligman served as the Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Health Studies at the Department
of Energy where he was responsible for
occupational medicine, health surveillance
and epidemiology related to nuclear weapons
production nationally and internationally.
From 1983-1993, he worked at the Centers
for Disease Control (CDC)/ National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) serving as an Epidemic Intelligence
Officer, a Preventive Medicine Resident on
assignment to the Ohio Department of
Health, and as Chief of the Medical Section
of NIOSH’s Surveillance Branch.
RETIRED COLUMN
TRICARE Premiums At Issue (Again)
COA and other Military Coalition associations
have been receiving inquiries from
members expressing concern over language
in recent Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) and Congressional Budget Office
(CBO) proposals that appear to indicate significant
increases planned for retirees who are
enrolled in TRICARE Prime and TRICARE
for Life (TFL). The proposals in question are
not new. They regularly appear in OMB and
CBO reports as options for reducing DoD
healthcare costs. TMC and other veterans’
service organizations have been successful in
convincing Congress that options to increase
healthcare premiums for retired uniformed
service personnel would be a violation of the
contract between the government and the
retirees.
Past success in holding the line against any
increase in retired members’ health insurance
costs is not, however, a guarantee of future
success. The fallout from the current financial
and economic crisis is likely to be far
reaching, and President Obama has made it
clear that sacrifices will be required from all
sectors.
COA will work closely with The Military
Coalition to ensure that retired service members’
health care is provided at minimum cost
to the individual.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 • COA FRONTLINE 5

6 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

Symposium Agenda Announced, Registration Open
The planning committees for the 2009
USPHS Scientific and Training Symposium
have announced details regarding
the agenda for the conference, which will
be held June 1-4 in Atlanta. Registration
for the event also is now open and Junior
Officer scholarship applications are available
(to cover the cost of registration fees
only). Visit www.phscofevents.org for
additional information or to register.
Agenda Highlights
The Symposium will begin on the
morning of Monday, June 1 with the
opening ceremonies and the Luther Terry
Lecture. This year’s lecture will be delivered
by Dr. Charles “Chip” Rice,
President of the Uniformed Services
University of Health Sciences. A variety
of luncheon options will be available
including the Minority Officers Liaison
Council Awards Luncheon, the COA
General Membership Luncheon and
more.
Monday afternoon will kick off with
two panel discussions dealing with the
challenges facing returning “Wounded
Warriors.” The scientific program will
conclude with more than 30 concurrent
late breaker presentations on hot topics
and recent developments in the field of
public health. Monday night will feature
a concert by the PHS Ensemble and the
Anchor and Caduceus Dinner (open to
all Symposium attendees) with keynote
speaker VADM David Satcher, USPHS,
(Ret), the 16th Surgeon General of the
United States.
Tuesday will be Category Day with
each of the 11 categories meeting
COA Seeks
Board Nominations
Check out the COA Website,
www.coausphs.org, for
information on the
COA Board of Directors
Nominations!
individually. Details on the Category Day
agendas are available on the Symposium
web site.
Wednesday and Thursday will include
more than 40 concurrent track presentations
on four tracks:
• Leading the Public Health Workforce
in America
• Strategies for Ensuring a Viable and
Effective Public Health Workforce
• Partnerships to Improve Public Health
• Preparing the Public Health Workforce
for All Hazards
Details on the track sessions can be
found on the Symposium web site.
Wednesday also will include a plenary
panel discussion looking at public health
workforce issues and the annual Awards
Luncheon. The Surgeon General’s 5K
Run/Walk is planned for Wednesday
evening. Thursday will conclude at midday.
As in the past the Surgeon General of
the United States will be invited to deliver
the closing keynote.
Pre-Conference Sessions
A number of “Critical Needs” preconference
training sessions will be
offered on Saturday, May 30 and Sunday
May 31 including:
• A workshop by the Office of
Commissioned Corps Operations
(OCCO) with OCCO subject matter
experts (promotions, COERS, Assimilation,
Training, etc) providing brief
presentations and then allowing for
question/answers.
2009 USPHS Scientific & Training Symposium
Call for Late Breaker Presentations & Posters
The Scientific Program Committee
for the 2009 USPHS Scientific &
Training Symposium invites interested
parties to submit an abstract for a 15-
minute Late Breaker presentation.
These presentations will be delivered
on the opening day of the conference,
Monday, June 1. Poster submissions
are also being accepted at this time.
Posters will be on display during the
conference week. The Symposium is
being held at the Atlanta Marriott
Marquis in Atlanta, Georgia from June
1-4, 2009.
The theme for the 2009 symposium
is “Leading a Strong Public Health
Workforce for a Healthy America.” The
deadline for Late Breaker submissions
is 5 PM ET on February 23, 2009
(deadline will not be extended).
• Late Breaker Presentations: Approved
abstract submissions will be
grouped with similar material by
(See Symposium, page 9)
others with each presenter having
15 minutes to provide an overview
of their work and answer questions.
Presentations will occur on Monday
afternoon June 1.
• Poster Sessions. Approved posters
will be displayed during the conference
on days and times to be determined.
Approved submitters will have
one side of a 4’ (height) x 8’ (width)
poster board for their presentation.
No additional space or materials may
be used.
Submissions are sought that provide
an opportunity for those engaged in
public health at all levels and settings to
share innovative and effective practices
and research that relate to the meeting’s
overall theme. Visit, www.phscofevents.
org for additional information or
to submit an abstract, which is done
on-line.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 • COA FRONTLINE 7

(Executive Director, from p. 1)
both institutions. It is my least favorite,
but still critically important, topic with
which I contend as your Executive
Director. And the issue is – finances.
Given the current economic and financial
meltdown, this is probably your least
favorite, but most frequent subject matter
as well.
I can almost hear the deep sighs and
rustling paper as many of you, upon reading
this far, decide to go no further and
put this Frontline down – face down.
Can’t say that I blame you, but I urge you
to reconsider and please keep reading.
This is important.
COA and COF are both experiencing
the same financial pinch that just about
every citizen and every institution is right
now – even Microsoft is in trouble! COA’s
membership numbers are stagnating – at
a time when the Corps is growing. We are
faced with unanticipated expenditures to
keep our IT systems current. And the
Association’s reserve, fully invested in
stocks and bonds, has lost about 25% of
its value in the last year.
Unrestricted donations to the
Foundation are well behind where they
were at this time last year and we are
faced with some tough decisions soon
about which projects we will be able to
pursue and which ones must be shelved
due to a lack of resources. The
Foundation has two principal sources of
income – the annual conference, and
donations. Revenue from the annual conference,
which is usually held in late
spring, does not begin to accumulate until
March or April, but conference expenses
are with us throughout the year as we
place deposits on conference sites, pay
for on-going support services, etc.
Association and Foundation finances
are linked together in that we share office
space, IT systems, and staff personnel.
If the Foundation cannot meet its obligations
to the Association, then COA must
make up the difference and that, in turn,
constrains our ability to accomplish the
work of the Association – member support,
communications, and advocacy for
the Commissioned Corps.
These financial challenges happen to
coincide with a time of perhaps unparalleled
opportunity to consolidate the gains
made thus far in the Corps’ transformation
and move forward to a new era of
PHS Commissioned Corps leadership in
public health. The potential for COA and
COF to influence and participate in restoring
the Commissioned Corps to prominence
in public health is too important for
us to stand aside. So, we must take
some measured risks in order to position
COA and COF to continue our efforts to
promote the Commissioned Corps and
advance the cause of public health information,
education, and advocacy.
COA will, as necessary, dip into the
reserve investment portfolio to be sure
we can meet our contractual obligations.
This is not the best time to take money
out of the stock market, but we will do
what we must to continue and expand our
work – especially in the area of government
relations and legislative advocacy.
At the same time, both COA and COF
will review our operations and reduce
expenses wherever possible. Some will
recall that COA’s 2002 strategic plan had
as its first priority the restoration of financial
stability and balanced budgets. We
enjoyed great success in that effort and
have enjoyed five years of small budgetary
surpluses since 2003. That will not
likely be the case this year or perhaps
even next.
Staff and Association and Foundation
Boards cannot solve this financial situation
by ourselves. We need your help.
You can help in many ways and many
of you already have and do; but we need
ALL of you to pitch in, grab an oar and
help us row. The obvious – keep your
COA membership current. We have,
sadly, suspended more than 500 members
in recent weeks for failure to pay
dues. If you are among them, this will be
your last issue of Frontline. Please seek
out and encourage all your fellow active
duty officers to renew, or join COA for the
first time. If you are a retired or inactive
reserve officer, reach out to your respective
retired and inactive reserve networks
and encourage them to join or rejoin COA.
In an effort to make sure we are supporting
members with questions or
issues, I have directed staff to check the
membership status of anyone who calls
or corresponds with us seeking help.
Since the beginning of the year, we have
had requests for information and/or
assistance from several officers, active
duty and retired, who were not current
COA members. Spending staff time to
assist non-members is not fair to our
dues-paying members and we will no
longer respond to non-member inquiries
except to invite those individuals to
become current members of COA before
we will assist them. Unless, of course,
the inquiry is “How do I become a COA
member?” We’ll always be happy to reply
to that question – and promptly.
COA members can help support the
Association by patronizing our business
partners – AGIA for insurance needs; and
AVIS/Budget for car rentals. We receive
small but sometimes significant royalties
from our partners and every little bit
helps.
In addition to doing business with
COA’s partners, you can help out by
attending the annual conference, and if a
junior officer, not seeking a registration
fee grant unless you really need one. We
will continue to award annual conference
grants to any JO who requests one – it is
a priority program of the Foundation
Trustees.
Help can also be provided by recruiting
exhibitors to the annual conference, and
by identifying potential sponsors and
grant opportunities to us that staff may
then pursue.
Finally, you can support the Foundation
by joining me as a Foundation donor.
Many of COA’s members have already
given generously to COF, and I take this
opportunity to thank you all again. But
we need ALL COA’s members to help support
the Foundation as generously as your
means will allow. The more financially
secure the Foundation, the better able
COA is to increase our legislative advocacy
on behalf of the Commissioned Corps.
We will be “penny-wise, but pound-foolish”
if we let the present interest in the Corps
and opportunity to effect positive legislation
on the Corps’ behalf, pass us by for
lack of resources. Donations to COF can
be made on the Foundation’s website
using a credit card. Please visit
http://www.phscof.org/donate.html today.
I don’t want this appeal to be overly
alarmist – COA and COF are not about to
8 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

fold our tents. What I hope to avoid at all
costs, however, is having to reduce tent
size when we really should be working on
a larger tent to increase the scope of
both Association and Foundation
operations.
All the analysts forecast that the economic
and financial situations will eventually
stabilize and begin to recover. They
just cannot agree on when that might be.
Unlike Microsoft, COA and COF cannot
shed staff at this time of historic opportunity
and still hope to compete.
Thanks for your attention and consideration.
Please help to do your part in
supporting your association and
foundation.
Veterinary Professional Advisory Committee
(VetPAC) Coin
Yours Aye!
(Symposium, from page 7)
• Fundamentals of Leadership
• Lean Six Sigma techniques
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support
Provider Certification
• Environmental Health Training in
Emergency Response
• Preventive Services
• Community Assessment for Public
Health Emergency and Response
• And more!
Visit, www.phscofevents.org for additional
information on these workshops
or to register.
Hotel Rooms
The hotel room block at the Atlanta
Marriott Marquis is selling quickly.
Visit, www.phscofevents.org/location/
location.cfm to book your room online.
Order Form
Make checks or money orders payable to Wanda Wilson.
Cost is $10.00 per coin, includes shipping and handling.
Number of Coins: ________ x $10.00 = Cost: __________
Method of Payment: ■ Check ■ Money Order
Please fully complete your return mailing address for coin delivery (Please print legibly):
Name: ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ __ ___ ___ ___ ___
Address: ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ___ ___ ___ ___ _
Help Fix the G.I. Bill!
Visit www.coausphs.org/
lainitiatives.cfm or e-mail
jrensberger@coausphs.org
to request our
letter-writing packet
City/State/Zip Code: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Send your mail order to:
LCDR Wanda Wilson
1830 Potomac Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20003
Questions?
Contact CDR Wanda Finch Chair, SWPAG
Email: wanda.wilson@fsis.usda.gov
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 • COA FRONTLINE 9

10 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

East Central University (ECU) Graduates Receive
Commissions in USPHS in Ceremony at ECU
Three graduates of East Central University’s
Environmental Health Science
program have each been commissioned as
Lieutenant Junior Grade in the United
States Public Health Service (USPHS)
Commissioned Corps during a November
ceremony at ECU.
Zac Grinnell of Shawnee, OK, Dustin
Joplin of Seminole, OK and Aaron McNeil
of Ada, OK returned to ECU for the ceremony.
East Central University has more
graduates serving as Environmental Health
Officers (EHOs) in the USPHS than any
other college or university, said Dr. Patrick
Bohan, ECU associate professor of environmental
health science and a retired Captain
in the USPHS Commissioned Corps.
Taking part in the ceremony were Rear
Admiral Richie Grinnell, Director of the
Nashville Area of the Indian Health Service
and a 1978 ECU graduate, Fan Robinson,
Director of the Office of Environmental
Health and Engineering in the Oklahoma
City Area Indian Health Service, CAPT
Kevin Meeks, SE Region Commissioned
Corps Liaison, Dr. Richard Rafes, ECU
President, Dr. Bruce Weems, Dean of the
College of Health and Sciences, and other
university officials. There were a total of
nine active duty Commissioned Corps
Environmental Health Officers present,
eight of whom are ECU Alumni. There
were also two civil service EHOs present
who are ECU graduates. Prior to the ceremony,
the Department of Environmental
Health Science hosted a luncheon for the
officers, their families, and the visiting
dignitaries.
All the new officers are Native American
and all serve tribes in Oklahoma. Grinnell
and Joplin are stationed in Lawton, OK and
McNeill is stationed in Pawnee, OK.
Additionally, all three officers are new members
of the Commissioned Officers
Association.
Grinnell, a member of the Sac and Fox
Nation of Missouri, graduated from
Shawnee High School. He earned a
Bachelor of Science degree in environmental
health science at ECU in 2007. He was
(Left to Right) RADM Richie Grinnell, CAPT Pat Bohan, (Ret.), LTJG Aaron McNeil,
LTJG Justin Joplin, and LTJG Zac Grinnell
a two-time all conference offensive tackle
for the ECU football team and was a member
of the Environmental Health Science
Club.
Grinnell previously was awarded a
Commissioned Corps Training Ribbon
and holds a license as a Registered Professional
Sanitarian from the Oklahoma
State Department of Health. His job
responsibilities include delivering comprehensive
environmental health service to the
tribes within the Lawton Service Unit,
which include the Apache, Caddo,
Comanche, Delaware, Fort Sill Apache,
Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas,
Kiowa, Wichita and affiliated tribes.
Grinnell was pinned by his father, Ron
Grinnell. He also is the nephew of Rear
Admiral Richie Grinnell.
Joplin, a member of the Choctaw
Nation and a graduate of Seminole High
School, received a Bachelor of Science
degree in environmental health science
from ECU in 2007. At ECU he was a
member of Alpha Chi national honor society
and the Environmental Health Science
Club and participated in the Bridges to the
Future Program.
Before coming to ECU he served in the
U.S. Army for three years, stationed in
Korea, Iraq and Fort Carson, CO. He was
discharged as an E-4 Specialist and received
the Army Commendation Medal, the
Army Achievement Medal and the
Operation Iraqi Freedom Badge.
Joplin recently was awarded the Commissioned
Corps Training Ribbon. His job
responsibilities include conducting environmental
health and food service surveys
and providing technical assistance and
training, such as food handlers’ classes and
training for blood borne pathogens.
He serves the Apache, Caddo,
Comanche, Delaware, Fort Sill Apache,
Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas,
Kiowa, Wichita and affiliated tribes.
Joplin was pinned by his father, Kelley
Joplin.
McNeill, a Chickasaw and Mississippi
Choctaw, graduated from Byng High
School and received a Bachelor of Science
degree in environmental health science in
December 2006. He was a member of
(See Graduates, page 12)
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 • COA FRONTLINE 11

The Commissioned Corps Makes Its Presence Felt at South Pole
By RADM Richard F. Barror
It has been said often that the “sun never
sets on the Commissioned Corps.” For a
relatively small uniformed service, the
Corps gets involved in a wide range of missions
all over the world. Back in 1995, a
new U.S. South Pole Station was under
design. PHS engineer officers stationed in
Alaska were called upon to assist the
National Science Foundation (NSF) with
the programming and design of the medical
clinic in the new station. The programming
aspect dealt with the anticipated
type and number of medical procedures
that would be conducted at the station,
especially during the summer (wintertime
in Antarctica) when the Station is isolated
for several months and medical evacuations
are nearly impossible. The design of
the clinic was based on the program
requirements.
CAPT Jay Farmwald (now retired from
the Corps and living in Anchorage) was
selected to assist the NSF. CAPT
Farmwald is a cold regions engineering
expert who had Arctic health facilities
experience with the Indian Health Service
(IHS) in Alaska. The IHS has constructed
several large hospitals and many smaller
health clinics in harsh arctic environments
in Alaska.
CAPT Farmwald went to the South
Pole in November 1995 to act as a consultant
to the NSF per a cooperative agreement
with the IHS.
The new U.S. Amundsen-Scott South
Pole Station, was completed in February
2008 and replaced the original 1970’s-era
facilities. The purpose of the Station is to
conduct scientific research, primarily related
to astronomy, meteorology, and climatology.
The facility is 80,000 square feet
and sits at elevation 9,300 feet above sea
level. It has all its own utilities and is completely
self-sufficient for up to six months.
(Graduates, from page 11)
ECU’s Environmental Health Science Club
and Native American Student Association.
He recently was awarded the Commissioned
Corps Training Ribbon and
holds a license from the Oklahoma State
Department of Health as a Registered
Professional Sanitarian. He performs environmental
health and food service surveys
for such facilities as health centers, restaurants,
casinos, Head Starts and wastewater
systems and for celebrations. He also provides
technical assistance to facilities regarding
hazard communication and emergency
response and safety policy/procedure
preparation.
McNeill serves the Pawnee, Osage,
Otoe-Missouria, Ponca, Tonkawa, Miami,
Ottawa, Peoria, Quapaw, Seneca-Cayuga
and Eastern Shawnee tribes.
He was pinned by his mother, Debra
McNeill.
Left - Mr. Jerry Marty, the NSF Project Manager; Right - CAPT Farmwald holding the PHS
Flag next to a ceremonial barber pole marking the geographic South Pole. The temperature
was minus 73 degrees F when the photo was taken.
The New U.S. Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station
12 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

U.S. Public Health Pharmacists Host National Career
Development Month at Area Community College
By LCDR Sandeep Saini and CDR William Bender
During National Career Development
Month, six United States Public Health
Service (USPHS) pharmacists from the
Washington, D.C. area volunteered their
time on November 6, 2008 to educate students
at Montgomery College in Takoma
Park, MD regarding career opportunities
within the USPHS. This was the third
year that the USPHS attended this event,
and the officers were very pleased with the
increased knowledge the students displayed
regarding the USPHS and public
health issues such as smoking cessation,
alcoholism, obesity, and immunizations.
During our previous trips to
Montgomery College in 2006 and 2007, it
was unusual to find a student that had
heard of the USPHS. However, this year
there were many students acquainted with
the USPHS, and they came armed with
(See Pharmacists, page 16)
Pictured from Left to Right are Commissioned Corps Public Health Service Pharmacists CDR
Devvrat Patel, LCDR Sandeep Saini, CDR William Bender, CDR Nina Nwaba, LCDR Kofi
Ansah, and CDR Nitin Patel, participating at the National Career Development Month event
at Montgomery College in Takoma Park, MD.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 • COA FRONTLINE 13

PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation
for the Advancement of Public Health Acknowledges...
Donations received November 1, 2008 - January 15th, 2009
Leadership Society
CAPT Martha Barclay-Giel, (Ret.)
President's Society
CAPT Thomas F. Lantry (IRC)
Platinum
RADM Leonard Bachman, (Ret.)
RADM Suzanne Dahlman, (Ret.)
RADM Dushanka V. Kleinman, (Ret.)
CAPT Eugene A. Migliaccio, (Ret.)
RADM Julia R. Plotnick, (Ret.)
CAPT Astrid L. Szeto *
Gold
CAPT David A. Crain
RADM James H. Erickson, (Ret.)
Gerard M. Farrell
CAPT Helen V. Foerst, (Ret.)
RADM Ward B. Hurlburt, (Ret.)
CAPT Arthur B. McIntyre, Jr., (Ret.)
RADM Richard S. Walling, (Ret.)
CAPT William J. Zukel, (Ret.)
Silver
CAPT Ulana R. Bodnar
CAPT Pamela L. Brye, (Ret.)
LTJG Christopher D. Dankmeyer
CAPT Lila R. Davis, (Ret.)
CAPT Jeffrey R. Fritsch
CAPT G. Bryan Jones
RADM Sandra L. Kweder
CAPT Armando S. Ledesma
CAPT William G. Lotz
RADM William R. Maas, (Ret.)
CAPT Bert W. Mitchell, (Ret.)
CAPT Harold F. Newman, (Ret.)
CAPT Sven E. Rodenbeck
LCDR Brenda L. Stodart
CAPT Timothy F. Svoboda, (Ret.)
CAPT Charles P. White, (Ret.)
Donations Can be Made
at Several levels:
Leadership Society . . . .$10,000
President’s Society . . . . .$5,000
Founder’s Society . . . . . .$2,500
Platinum . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,000
Gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$500
Silver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$250
Bronze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$100
Bronze
CAPT David W. Alton, (Ret.)
CAPT Ira Berkower
CAPT Gary Blache
Yes, I would like to help!
PHS COMMISSIONED O FFICERS F OUNDATION
FOR THE A DVANCEMENT OF P UBLIC H EALTH
Enclosed is my contribution
Please make checks payable to:
“PHS Commissioned Officers Foundation”
or provide credit card information below
MAIL TO: PHS Commissioned Officers
Foundation for the
Advancement of Public Health
8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 200
Landover, MD 20785
Type of Credit Card:
Amount:
$ ____________________
MasterCard
Visa
American Express
Discover
Card Number: ________________________________________________________________
Name on Card: ________________________________________________________________
Expiration Date: ________________________________________________________________
Signature: ________________________________________________________________
Name:
________________________________________________________________
Organization: ________________________________________________________________
Mailing Address: ________________________________________________________________
City: __________________________ State: ______________ Zip: ______________
Phone: ____________________ Fax: __________________ Email: __________________
14 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

CAPT Perry C. Brackett, (Ret.)
CAPT David W. Callagy, (Ret.)
CDR James F. Calvert (IRC)
CAPT Michael A. Carome
CAPT Bruce R. Chelikowsky, (Ret.)
CDR Gary M. Cole
CAPT Robert DeChristoforo
CAPT Carol A. Delany, (Ret.)
CDR Walter L. Fava
CAPT James D. Felsen, (Ret.)
CAPT David M. Frucht
CAPT Stephen J. Garza, (Ret.)
CDR Brockton J. Hefflin
CAPT Charles G. Helmick, III
LCDR Aldrin Joe Jaranilla
LCDR Wilbert C. Jordan (IRC)
CAPT Daniel M. Kavanaugh
CAPT Donna M. Kenison
LCDR Rory M. Laughery (IRC)
CAPT Gene P. Lewis, (Ret.)
RADM Boris D. Lushniak
LCDR Anthony J. Massenzio, Jr. (IRC)
CAPT Martin D. McCarthy, (Ret.)
LCDR David J. Meehan (IRC)
CDR Donald S. Miller (IRC)
CAPT Ernestine Murray
CDR Sue N. Newman
LCDR Paul R. Pagel (IRC)
Dr. John L. Parascandola
LT Lisa M. Patterson
CAPT Robert G. Raymond, (Ret.)
CDR John T. Redd
CAPT David E. Robbins
CAPT John E. Roller (IRC)
RADM John F. Sherman, (Ret.)
CAPT Betty J. Shuler, (Ret.)
CAPT Daniel D. Sprau
LCDR James R. Strunk
CAPT Wilnetta A. Sweeting
RADM John G. Todd, (Ret.)
CAPT Sumathy Vannarth, (Ret.)
CDR Geoffrey T. Wachs
Ellen S. Weiner **
CDR Thomas M. Weiser
CAPT Holly A. Williams
CAPT Steven S. Wolf
CAPT Robert N. Zimmerman, (Ret.)
2009 COF Scholarship Program
The PHS Commissioned Officers
Foundation for the Advancement of
Public Health (COF) is sponsoring the
COF Scholarship Program to assist
dependent children or dependent
spouses of active duty, retired, or
deceased officers of the USPHS
Commissioned Corps, who are members
of COA.
COF is firmly committed to
encouraging the pursuit of higher education
and is pleased to provide this
opportunity for financial assistance in
the form of scholarships for those eligible
persons.
Scholarship Amounts
The scholarship awards range from
$250 to $2000 depending on the
applicant’s qualifications.
Applicants to the PHS
Commissioned Officers Foundation
Scholarship Program must fulfill the
following requirements:
1. Dependent children or dependent
spouses of active duty, retired, or
deceased officers of the USPHS
Commissioned Corps, who are
members, in good standing, of
COA as of the applicant deadline
date of June 1, 2009.
2. High School seniors/graduates who
plan to enroll or students already
enrolled in a full-time undergraduate
or graduate course of study at an
accredited two or four year college,
university, or vocational-technical
school.
3. Recipients must enroll in a course of
study no later than Fall 2009.
Scholarship recipients will be evaluated
on the following standards; (in no
particular order)
• The basis of the applicant’s academic
record.
• The applicant’s school counselor’s
recommendation.
• The illustration of leadership and
participation in school and community
activities.
• Applicant’s completed essay.
COF Scholarship payments are
made in one installment. Check payments
are mailed to the recipient’s
home address.
The application is available on the
COF web site (www.phscof.org), by
writing to the COF, 8201 Corporate
Drive, Suite 200, Landover, MD
20785, or e-mail to Brian McSheffrey at
bmcsheffrey@coausphs.org.
Friends
LCDR Michelle E. Arena
CAPT Charles P. Bachtel (IRC)
LT Jennifer C. Bebo
CAPT Ronald A. Berry
CAPT Robert L. Bolin, Jr., (Ret.)
CAPT Neil S. Buckholtz
LCDR Michael R. Chard
CDR Lana Y. Chen
CAPT Joanne C. Chinnici
CAPT William Cibulas, Jr.
CAPT Arthur E. Cohen (IRC)
CDR Gary M. Cole
CAPT Peter J. Delany
CDR Alison R. Dion
CAPT Rosemary E. Duffy
CDR George A. Durgin
CAPT David M. Frucht
CDR Judy R. Gaalswyk, (Ret.)
LT Whitney Gadsby
CAPT Joseph H. Gainer, (Ret.)
CAPT Sharon K. Gershon
CAPT Lorenzo G. Guzman, (Ret.)
CAPT Michelle T. Hall
CDR Paul W. Hamra
CDR Dione M. Harjo
CDR Charles S. Hayden, II
CAPT Carl W. Huntley
CAPT Jean H. Kajikawa, (Ret.)
LTJG Kurt J. Kesteloot
CDR Mariann Kocsis
CAPT Carolyn V. Lee
CAPT Charles E. Lee
LCDR Michael C. Leo (IRC)
CDR Fred V. Lief
Little Colorado River COA Branch
RADM Preston A. Littleton, Jr., (Ret.)
LT Aaron F. Long
CAPT Jeffrey A. Lowell (IRC)
RADM Fitzhugh S. Mullan, (Ret.)
LCDR David B. Myers (IRC)
Officer Basic Course Class 14 ***
LT Lisa A. Palucci
Faye Rexrode ****
LCDR Morissa B. Rice
CAPT Jack C. Robertson, (Ret.)
CAPT Donald S. Robinson (IRC)
CAPT David B. Sachar (IRC)
CDR Kathy S. Slawson
CAPT Charlotte A. Spires
CDR Shonda M. Stacey
LT Pieter S. VanHorn
CDR Charles M. Weber
Sandra K. Wilder ****
CDR Diahann L. Williams
LCDR Judy A. Williams, (Ret.)
CAPT John A. Wolfe, (Ret.)
CDR Gor Yee Lum
* In Memory of Mrs. F. N. Luk
** In Memory of CAPT Irving Herbert
Schlafman, (Ret.)
*** In Honor of CAPT Janet Dumont
**** In Memory of Ray D. Crossley, II, (Ret.)
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 • COA FRONTLINE 15

Make a Gift to
the Foundation
through an IRA
Charitable Rollover
If you are over the age of 70½, you
must take a required minimum distribution
from your IRA. Normally, the
amount of this distribution is taxed as
ordinary income. However, federal
legislation enacted on October 3,
2008, extends the opportunity for you
throughout 2009 to make a direct distribution
from your IRA to a qualified
charity, such as COF. Such distributions,
while not subject to income tax,
will still count toward fulfilling your
required minimum distribution. For
more information about how you can
benefit from an IRA charitable rollover,
contact your accountant or tax
advisor.
(Pharmacists, from page 13)
plenty of questions. The genuine interest
in the USPHS was much appreciated as
students are becoming more aware of the
USPHS and all that it has to offer. Many
of the students inquired about internship
opportunities, and we encouraged them to
apply for the COSTEP and Residency
programs.
The USPHS pharmacists that attended
this event also counseled students regarding
important public health issues such as obesity,
immunizations, depression, and suicide
prevention. The officers came ready
with many materials obtained free of
charge from government resources.
Pharmacists obtained this high-quality
public health information from government
agencies such as the CDC, NIH,
SAMHSA, and FDA. Since Montgomery
College - Takoma Park is a diverse campus
with students from around the world, it
was helpful that these materials were available
in different languages so that the students
could share this important information
with their family members.
COA Congratulates Flag Officer Selectees
RADM Scott
Deitchman, USPHS
The Assistant Secretary for Health and
Acting Surgeon General announced
the results of the flag officer promotion
board on January 16th. COA extends its
congratulations to the officers selected
for promotion to the Commissioned
Corps’ most senior leadership positions.
Selected for promotion from O-7 to
O-8 are:
RADM Deborah Parham-Hopson,
Associate Administrator, HIV/AIDS
Bureau, HRSA;
RADM Thomas McGinnis, Pharmaceutical
Operations Directorate, TRI-
CARE Management Activity, DoD;
RADM Sam Shekar, Senior Advisor to
the Assistant Secretary for Health, OS.
Selected for promotion from O-6 to
O-7 are:
All of the USPHS officers that volunteered
for this event wore their uniforms
with pride and distinction As the
Career/Transfer Center Coordinator,
Ms. Roberta Buckberg, stated in an appreciation
letter that she sent to each officer,
“Many of our students want public service
careers and many more in the health field -
the Public Health Service is a perfect marriage
of the two and your visits provide some talented
students who face financial challenges with
a path to continue toward their dreams. You
gave them valuable information and insights
that will impact not only their professional
goals, but their personal lives and health as
well.” Statements such as these make us
proud to be part of the Commissioned
Corps.
RADM Sam Shekar,
USPHS
RADM Stephen Redd,
USPHS
CAPT Theresa Cullen, Chief Information
Officer and Director, Information
Technology, IHS;
CAPT Scott Deitchman, Associate
Director, Terrorism Preparedness &
Emergency Response, Coordinating
Center for Environmental Health &
Injury Prevention, CDC;
CAPT Peter Delany, Director, Office of
Applied Studies, SAMHSA;
CAPT Stephen Redd, Director, Influenza
Coordination Unit, CDC;
CAPT Ann Knebel, Deputy Director for
Preparedness Planning, ASPR/OS;
CAPT Isabel Garcia, Deputy Director,
National Institute of Dental and
Craniofacial Research, NIH.
COF Donation
Campaign
The 2008-09 COF campaign is in
full swing, and we wanted to remind
you that February is the next month to
contribute.
These are tough times - for institutions
like the Foundation – as well as
for individuals. If you would like to
help the Foundation, any contribution
will make a difference.
Thank you again for your past
generosity and for your help again at
this time of opportunity.
16 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

(Legislative Update, from page 2)
A New Surgeon General. COA had
high hopes that the “change” theme of
the new Administration would include
selecting a U.S. Surgeon General from
among career physicians in the PHS
Commissioned Corps. As all COA members
know, that has not happened. The
apparent choice is Dr. Sanjay Gupta, an
Atlanta neurosurgeon turned CNN star
medical reporter. As Frontline goes to
press, Dr. Gupta’s nomination has not
been publicly confirmed, but he reportedly
has told associates that he has, in
fact, been offered the job. According to
news reports, the job would be redefined
so that Dr. Gupta could serve the White
House as advocate for the President’s
health reform proposals.
Dr. Gupta would not be the first surgical
specialist with slim public health
credentials to win the post of Surgeon
General. Dr. C. Everett Koop, among the
most charismatic and courageous U.S.
Surgeons General in history, was a pediatric
thoracic surgeon when nominated
by President Reagan in 1981, and, as a
social conservative, his nomination was
opposed by liberal critics.
Once installed, however, Dr. Koop
charmed Congress, enthusiastically
embraced the PHS Commissioned
Corps, and showed himself to be an
inspired leader. In response to an epidemic
of a frightening new disease later
named AIDS, Dr. Koop calmed the
nation. He wrote a blunt, honest and
informative brochure about the disease
and ordered it mailed to every single household
in the United States.
Koop’s shoes are large, and it’s fair to
ask if they can possibly be filled by any
Surgeon General who must also serve
as White House publicist and policy
advocate.
Health care reform, no matter how
long overdue and no matter how ardently
desired by just about everybody, is bound
to be politically contentious and fiscally
worrisome regardless of the shape it takes
when reduced to specific policy proposals.
Selling the President’s plan, when it’s
finally unveiled, is sure to be an all-consuming
job.
— Judy Rensberger
Junior Officer of the Year Award
JOAG Excellence Award
VADM Richard H. Carmona Inspiration Award
The Junior Officer Advisory Group
(JOAG) is requesting nominations for
three awards to be presented at the annual
USPHS Scientific and Training
Symposium 1-4 June 2009 in Atlanta,
Georgia.
The Junior Officer of the Year Award
recognizes a Junior Officer at temporary
grade O-1 through O-4 in the United
States Commissioned Corps that has
made a significant contribution to the
overall mission of the Public Health
Service. (Self-nominations welcome.)
The JOAG Excellence Award recognizes
a non-voting, active member of the
JOAG for demonstrating outstanding,
dedicated effort, and commitment to
JOAG through active committee participation.
(Self-nominations welcome.)
The VADM Richard H. Carmona
Inspiration Award recognizes a retired
or active duty Senior Officer at temporary
grade O-5 or above who exemplifies
outstanding leadership by example,
mentorship and empowerment of junior
officers, unwavering support of the
Commissioned Corps and its mission,
and overall inspiration and motivation
to the PHS community. (Nominations
only accepted from Junior Officers.)
Call for Nominations
If you know any outstanding officer
deserving recognition of theses awards,
please contact JOAG Awards Chair,
LCDR Dianne Paraoan at
dianne.paraoan@fda.hhs.gov or one of
the JOAG Award Leads listed below for
the nomination forms, awards guidelines,
and companion documents.
Nominations due no later than 27
February 2009.
Send nominations for Junior Officer of the
Year to:
LCDR L. Jane Preston
lesley.preston@ihs.gov
phone: 928-737-6127
fax: 928-737-6001
Send nominations for JOAG Excellence
Award to:
LCDR Melissa Robb
melissa.robb@fda.hhs.gov
phone: 301-827-1516
fax: 301-443-9718
Send nominations for VADM Richard H.
Carmona
Inspiration Award to:
LCDR Melissa Burns
Melissa.burns@fda.hhs.gov
Phone: 240-276-0268
Fax: 240-276-0129
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 • COA FRONTLINE 17

(Galson, from page 1)
career ranks of that service. The Navy
would not, for example, pick a civilian
naval architect, make that person an instant
admiral, and appoint him or her as Chief of
Naval Operations. Why should the uniformed
Commissioned Corps be treated
differently?
There is a set of core competencies
desired of any Surgeon General. They
include a certain experience, broad exposure
to and in depth knowledge of public
health issues and practice. Additionally,
recent studies and reports as well as legislative
initiatives have called for greater independence
and authority for the Office of
Surgeon General. These characteristics can
best be found where the Armed Services
find them – in the career officer corps.
Appointing a Surgeon General who is
not a career officer is fraught with problems.
Such action sends a clear signal of
no-confidence to the Corps. It creates a
credibility gap between the new Surgeon
General and the Corps he or she commands.
From the perspective of COA, the
organization that leads the way in defending
the Corps’ entitlement to full parity
with its sister uniformed services – it makes
that task more difficult. A consistently
repeated pattern of creating instant admirals,
whether as Surgeon General or
assistant secretary, does not enhance the
professional reputation of the Commissioned
Corps – especially among its sister
uniformed services. Indeed, it even
opens the door to question the need for a
uniformed Corps in the first place.
There has been much written about Dr.
Gupta’s rumored nomination and the role
of the Surgeon General as the nation’s
health educator, “top doc,” and chief health
spokesperson. Most often overlooked however,
is the fact that the only statutory
responsibility of the Surgeon General is to
administer the Commissioned Corps.
Existing law and regulation are silent on the
functions of the Surgeon General as anything
other than the Corps’ commander.
One could reasonably argue then, that
experience in the Corps ought to be the
first qualification of the office.
A legitimate question often raised is
what about Dr. C. Everett Koop, who is
likely to go down in history as the most
popular and well-known Surgeon General
ever? Or the Corps’ deep respect and affection
for Dr. Rich Carmona? Neither Koop
nor Carmona were career Corps officers
when appointed Surgeon General. Their
success as the Corps’ commander, and perhaps
even to some degree as Surgeons
General, was because they embraced the
Corps both in its essential mission, and in
the Corps’ identity as a uniformed service.
Surgeons General Koop and Carmona each
recognized the Corps’ potential in securing
the nation’s public health and understood
the unique aspect of uniformed service
ethos in fully realizing that potential. They
committed their years as Surgeons General
to reinvigorating the Commissioned
Corps’ identity and sense of pride and professionalism
as a uniformed service. And
they are the first to endorse the selection of
future Surgeons General from within the
career Commissioned Corps.
To be clear, COA has never opposed or
endorsed any nominee for Surgeon
General, especially one from outside the
Commissioned Corps. The Association
will, however, continue to express its disappointment
whenever a Surgeon General is
named who is not a career officer. Should
Dr. Gupta emerge as the President’s nominee
and win Senate confirmation, COA
will do all in its power to ensure his success
as the next Dr. Koop.
We remain concerned, however, by
reports that the next Surgeon General will
also be given a role in the White House
Office of Health Reform that will be
headed up by HHS Secretary-Designate
Daschle. Our understanding is that the
Administration seeks to use the Surgeon
General as the principal spokesperson for
health reform. This appears to underscore
a serious misunderstanding by the
Administration of the role of the Surgeon
General as it has evolved.
The Surgeon General cannot, on the
one hand, be an independent arbiter and
interpreter of public health science for the
American people; and, on the other hand,
be a policy advocate for what is sure to be a
controversial subject – regardless of where
you stand on the health care reform debate.
Such a situation will inevitably compromise
the integrity of the Office of Surgeon
General, regardless of who occupies it.
Where things stand
As this is written, the pace of filling the
political positions in HHS has slowed to
a crawl. Secretary-Designate Daschle
remains the only formally nominated official
in HHS requiring Senate confirmation
and his nomination has yet to be acted on
by the Senate Finance Committee. It is
unclear when that will happen or when the
full Senate will vote on the Daschle nomination.
It appears that the new Administration
may be holding other formal HHS
nominations until Daschle is confirmed.
The situation is further complicated by a
family emergency for Mr. Daschle which
may have him unavailable for involvement
in the process of selecting individuals for
appointment.
Dr. Gupta remains the much rumored
candidate for Surgeon General, although
there has been neither official confirmation
nor denial of this.
The Good News
Recent developments surrounding the
rumored nomination of Dr. Gupta as
Surgeon General are not without positive
aspects for the Commissioned Corps and
COA. This is the first time in memory
when the Office of Surgeon General has
come into play so early and so prominently
in a presidential transition. If that reflects
a renewed sense of importance for the position,
then that is a good thing. The public
discussions about the role of the Surgeon
General have also provided an opportunity
to promote the Commissioned Corps. It is
likely no accident that inquires into
OCCO about a commission in the Corps
increased during January. All publicity is
good.
Lastly, COA has been sought out as a
source of information and opinion about
the Office of Surgeon General and the
Commissioned Corps by a significant
number of reporters and journalists. The
Association and Commissioned Corps
have been cited in articles circulating
around the world, on the internet and in
print media. If one of COA’s goals is to
increase the visibility of the Corps, January
has been an exceptionally productive
month!
18 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

NOMINATION DEADLINE
March 17, 2009 Close of Business
Nominations Sought for Health Services PAC’s 2009 Kissel and Garcia Awards
The Health Services Professional Advisory
Committee (HS-PAC) to the Surgeon
General of the U.S. Public Health Service
(PHS) is pleased to announce a call for
nominations for the “Stanley J. Kissel, Jr.
Award for Outstanding Health Services
Professional of the Year.” The nominee
must have made a significant impact on
public health, on either a national level or
local population. Nominations must also
include evidence of leadership in the
achievement(s) being cited, and must
describe how the officer serves as a role
model to others. Furthermore, the nominations
must demonstrate how the accomplishments
are above and beyond their
usual duties and responsibilities of the
Call for Nominations
nominee per their billet or job description.
The HS-PAC is also inviting nominations
for the “Joseph Garcia, Jr. Award for
Outstanding Junior Officer of the Year.”
This award will go to a junior health service
professional who made a significant
contribution to the advancement of the
nation’s publicly demonstrated leadership
in their work, and show involvement in
health-related professional or community
organizations or activities.
Commissioned Corps officers from the
Health Services category and equivalent
civil service professionals, excluding current
voting members of the 2009 HS-
PAC, are eligible for these awards.
Nominations must be received by March
17, 2009. The award will be presented in
June at the 2009 U.S. Public Health
Service (USPHS) Scientific and Training
Symposium in Atlanta, GA.
Nominations that do not follow the
correct format will not be reviewed.
Award criteria and nominations forms for
either of these awards may be obtained
from the HS PAC webpage at http://
www.usphs-hso.org or contacting: LCDR
Travis Fisher at travis.fisher@ihs.gov
[(406)275-4904]
Current voting members of the HS PAC are
not eligible to receive this award. All Nominees
must meet and maintain Readiness
Standard throughout the year.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 • COA FRONTLINE 19

BRANCH NEWS
Cincinnati COA Officers Awarded Unit
Commendation for 2007 Symposium Efforts
By CDR Chuck Hayden
Cincinnati COA officers were awarded the
USPHS unit commendation award for
their superb collaborative efforts in the
planning, organizing, and execution of
activities related to the 2007 USPHS
Scientific and Training Symposium held in
Cincinnati, OH in June 2007. A maximum
of 250 officer’s attendance at government
expense was put in place in April 2007. This
limit had the potential to severely affect
attendance, participation, and many other
aspects of the symposium and its related
activities as some person’s key to facilitating
and executing the symposium were not able
to attend. This placed a higher level of
responsibility on local PHS officers to move
into various symposium activities to ensure
the symposium’s success. This extra level of
responsibility was readily picked up by the
highly organized group of Cincinnati COA
officers. The group consisted of more than
30 officers from four different agencies
located in and around the Cincinnati/
Northern Kentucky area. The officers provided
vital assistance in planning and carrying
out activities associated with general
symposium logistics, category day, the SG
5K Run Walk, evening social, and golf outing.
Additionally, many served as Aide-de
Camps. Along with setting up meetings
with local city and county health department
heads and university officials in preparation
for the pre-symposium’s Global
Health Summit, they even organized a presymposium
Red’s ballgame outing during
COA National’s advance planning committee’s
visit to Cincinnati. During the symposium,
local officers moderated panel sessions
and discussions, chaired numerous
technical sessions and gave more than 15
scientific presentations. They provided category
specific representation for planning
and logistics, worked in many of the category,
branch, and JOAG exhibit booths to
include exhibit setup and breakdown. The
local officers planned and coordinated a
fund raising raffle and for the first time
(Front Row, Left to Right) CAPT Teresa Seitz, CDR Kevin Hanley, CAPT Rick Davis, LCDR
Sarah Luckhaupt, LCDR Margo Riggs, CAPT Doug Thoroughman; (Back Row, Left to
Right) CDR Chuck Hayden, CDR Dave Byrne, CDR Christine West, CDR Rob McCleery,
CAPT Bill Murphy, LCDR Duane Hammond, LT John Gibbons
developed a symposium challenge coin
along with continuing their tradition of
making available PHS logo crystal ware to
conference attendees. The Cincinnati COA
officers promoted information sharing and
conference attendance through periodic
updates on their local branch website and
provided support and encouragement to
local universities and schools to attend the
symposium.
The effects of the 250 cap were mostly
transparent to the over 900 conference
attendees. Diligent efforts to seek out and
review bids from qualified run/walk race
coordinators led to the SG 5K Run/Walk
being held at a cost less than half that paid
in previous years. Over 300 persons participated
in the event at a cost savings of over
$5,000. Funds earned from the golf outing,
the social evening, coin and crystal ware
sales, and the local COA branches raffle
resulted in a donation of $500 to the
Commissioned Officer’s Foundation. Their
coordinated fund-raising efforts brought in
over $7,000 from local agencies.
Except for the closing dinner, all typical
symposium activities were held successfully
and were appropriately attended. While the
Thursday evening closing dinner was cancelled
due to cost concerns associated with
the 250 cap, the Wednesday evening social
provided an ample opportunity to strengthen
professional ties and serve as the pseudo
“closing dinner.” With over 400 in attendance
at the Wednesday evening social,
Commissioned Corps and Commissioned
Officer’s Association leadership used the
event to give final thanks and make their
closing remarks to the attendees. In spite of
all challenges, the officer’s efforts resulted in
the 2007 USPHS Scientific and Training
Symposium experiencing a flawless exchange
of scientific, technical, and professional
information that served to enhance
both individual officer’s development and
Esprit de Corps of the USPHS.
20 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

Fort Defiance (Tse’hoot’soi’) AZ COA Branch Activities
Submitted By CDR Susan Warren and LCDR Joe Christ
Although the Tse’hoot’soi COA Branch in
Fort Defiance, AZ has not received notification
of its “official status,” officers have
been meeting monthly since June 08 to
plan activities to benefit the community.
This group has a total membership of 21
officers, several of which maintain collaborations
with various tribal programs. One
such collaboration is with the Fort Defiance
Office of the Navajo Nation WIC Program,
who sponsored a “Coat Donation Drive” to
help community members.
Under the enthusiastic leadership of
President Joe Christ, not only fellow CO’s,
but other hospital staff was inspired to
donate new or gently used coats during the
months of November and December. The
large quantity of donated coats filled the
back seat of a 1950 Chevy. Before winter
weather hit with vehemence, the collected
coats were delivered to the local WIC office.
The WIC staff was very appreciative of our
support and contribution.
decorated, and manned floats for this event
Another community oriented activity to spread holiday cheer. This night parade
planned and sponsored by the Tse’hoot’soi started at the Fort Defiance Hospital and
COA Branch was the 2nd Annual Christmas
Parade. Several CO’s donated props, Tse Bonito, NM in quite cold
traveled a round trip distance of 20 miles to
temperatures.
(Left to Right) LCDR Joe Christ, CDR Susan Warren with Navajo Nation WIC Staff
With a huge publicity campaign, participation
(cars & floats) increased ten-fold from
last year’s parade. The parade lit up the faces
of young and old, and added to the joy of
the season!
Heart of America Committed to Public Health via Community Service
The Heart of America Commissioned
Officers Association partnered with the
Don Bosco Community Center to help
bring joy and cheer to a family this holiday
season. Members of the Heart of America
COA opened their hearts and gave generously
so three children could experience
Christmas morning with new toys, art supplies,
and clothing. Additionally the branch
made a financial contribution to the Center
so that families may benefit from Don
Bosco services all year-round, including
rent, utilities, food, clothing and other
necessities.
“No child should grow up cold or hungry.
As public health professionals we felt it
was our duty to address the most basic public
health issue in our community,” said
Community Service Chair, CDR Dana
Hall. “Childhood hunger is a real issue in
the Kansas City area. Of the 60,000 people
receiving assistance through feeding programs
in our city, 43% of them are children.
It is our desire to continue our efforts not
only at Christmas, but throughout the
year.”
The Don Bosco Community Center
was created and built by residents of
Northeast Kansas City who wanted a safe
place for their children. Don Bosco officially
opened its doors on September 8, 1940
to begin a long tradition of providing a nurturing
environment through recreational
and educational programming. The
agency's decades of service has led to its purpose,
"Helping People Build Better Lives."
Today the Don Bosco Community Center
is a comprehensive social service agency that
works to address the daily issues and needs
of the residents of Northeast Kansas City.
(Left to Right) LCDR Jill Shugart and CDR
Dana Hall
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 • COA FRONTLINE 21

IN MEMORIAM
CAPT Sylvan B. Green, USPHS, (Ret.)
Captain Sylvan B.
Green, USPHS,
(Ret.), 62, of Tucson,
AZ, and an active
member of COA,
passed away on
December 13, 2008 of
pancreatic cancer.
CAPT Green received a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Natural Science and his Medical
Doctor degree from the University of
Pennsylvania, from which he also held a certificate
in Molecular Biology. He served his
medical internship at the State University of
New York Upstate Medical Center in
Syracuse in 1972-1973. He had a 24-year
career at the National Cancer Institute at
Bethesda, MD, where he was involved in
methodological and applied research. He
was the Lead Research Investigator in the
Clinical and Diagnostic Trials Section,
Biometry Branch. In 1997, he joined the
faculty of the Case Western Reserve
University School of Medicine in Cleveland
as Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics;
Professor of Biomedical Ethics;
Professor of Oncology and Cancer Center
Associate Director (Biostatistics and
Informatics).
CAPT Green joined the Arizona Cancer
Center in 2002, where he led the center's
methodological and applied research activities.
He played a major role in the Cancer
Center's translational research efforts
through participating in several major
grants in study design, project development
and biostatistical analyses. His research
interests were in design and analysis of clinical
trials, prevention trials, and epidemiologic
studies, and applying biostatistical and
computer methodologies to medical and
public health problems.
CAPT Green was elected a Fellow of the
American College of Epidemiology in
1983. He served as the President of the
Society for Clinical Trials in 1994-1995 and
was elected a Fellow in 2007. He was also a
member of the American Society of Clinical
Oncology, the American Statistical Association
and the American Association for
Cancer Research. He was also the Director
of Biometry and the inaugural Linda
McCartney Breast Cancer Endowed Chair
in Biometry at the Arizona Cancer Center,
and Professor of Epidemiology and
Biostatistics in the College of Public Health
at The University of Arizona. CAPT Green
was a retired officer in the U.S. Public
Health Service Commissioned Corps. He
was acknowledged by his research colleagues
both nationally and internationally
to be one of the most outstanding cancer
clinical biostatisticians worldwide.
CAPT Green is survived by his wife,
Angela Lyn Redlingshafer Green, of
Tucson, AZ.
He was buried at Roosevelt Cemetery in
Philadelphia following graveside services
December 17, 2008. A memorial service
for Dr. Green will be held in Tucson at the
Arizona Cancer Center Kiewit Auditorium
in January.
CDR Yvonne I. Johns, USPHS, (Ret.)
Commander Yvonne
I. Johns, USPHS,
(Ret.), 65, of Silver
Spring, MD, and an
active member of
COA passed away on
December 28, 2008 of
kidney cancer.
CDR Johns was a 23-year kidney cancer
survivor. She was a retired Commissioned
Officer of the United States Public Health
Service (USPHS). She had over 20 years of
experience in health service administration,
health planning communications, community
outreach, and health disparities. CDR
Johns believed all things were possible
through faith, knowledge, access to care,
and hope.
In an interview about cancer survivorship
given in May of 2007, CDR Johns was
asked about her foundation goals. She
stated she wanted to leave a legacy and a
scholarship fund. Her goals were to focus
on minorities and kidney cancer; support
the network of survivors, caregivers and
advocates; raise funds to support investigators
who will research the cure for kidney
cancer and provide community education
on high risk behavior, clinical trials and
treatment options. Asbury United
Methodist Church (Washington, DC) has
established a cancer survivor support
group.
Her family would like to thank those
who played a major role in helping her with
her fight against cancer. They also request
that if you wish to make donations, please
make them to the Cancer Fund of your
choice in her name, or to the Yvonne Johns
Kidney Foundation.
Her internment took place on January 8,
2009 at the Quantico National Cemetery.
CAPT George E. Prime, USPHS, (Ret.)
Captain George E. Prime, USPHS,
(Ret.), 80, of Llano, TX, and a COA
Life Member passed away on December 18,
2008 of cancer.
CAPT Prime left high school at age 17
to join the United States Navy, then
returned to complete high school and went
onto Tarkio College, where he graduated
with his B.S. degree in Biology. He later
went on to complete his M.S. in Sanitation
at the University of Minnesota.
Starting in 1960, CAPT Prime served
for over two decades in the United States
Public Health Service, including serving as
the Deputy Director of the Indian Health
Service, before retiring with the rank of
Captain. He spent several of his early service
years and time with the milk and food
section. During these days he recruited and
became a mentor to many sanitarians
entering the Commissioned Corp of the
(See CAPT Prime, page 23)
22 COMMISSIONED OFFICERS ASSOCIATION

How to Publish a
Brief Obituary
NIOSH Dedicates CAPT Derek E. Dunn
Conference Room in Washington Office
COA encourages our members to
write obituaries for publication in
Frontline. COA staff does not have
the resources to compile a well written
obituary, and this is where we need
your help. An obituary for Frontline
should honor their memory, and tell
their story as a Commissioned Corps
officer. The obituary should be an
inspiration to junior officers and help
explain the legacy of the Commissioned
Corps through them. A
photo to accompany the obituary is a
great way to remember the deceased
member.
If you have an obituary you would
like to share with COA, please e-mail
Julia Veeder at jveeder@coausphs.org.
(CAPT Prime, from page 22)
public health service. George was an individual
of outstanding commitment, he was
a very personable individual and one who
maintained the highest of both personal &
professional integrity plus a high degree of
work ethics.
RADM John G. Todd, USPHS, (Ret.),
looked back on when he first met CAPT
Prime, “I first met George in the late 1960’s
when he was stationed with the Indian
Health Service in Aberdeen, S.D. where he
was a special assistant to Dr. E.S. (STU)
Rabeau. Dr. Rabeau later became the
Director of the Indian Health Service and
CAPT Prime came to Headquarters with
Dr. Rabeau as a deputy special assistant
where they remained for a number of years.
In the 1970’s Dr. Rabeau stepped down as
the Director of the Indian Health Service
and transferred to Tucson, AZ where he
developed and established the Office of
Research and Development. CAPT Prime
also transferred to Tucson with Dr. Rabeau
where he became a major asset to the development
and establishment of many of the
programs and activities of this office. These
programs and activities over the years have
CAPT Derek E. Dunn, USPHS
(1945–2002), a NIOSH research scientist
and administrator and past
national president of the Commissioned
Officers Association, was respected for
his professionalism, leadership, and
integrity. At a dedication ceremony held
on December 5 in the Washington
office, NIOSH was honored to host
CAPT Dunn's family as well as many of
had a major impact on not only the health
of the American Indians and Alaska
Natives but health care and delivery
throughout the world. CAPT Prime
remained associated with the Tucson office
until his retirement in the mid 1980’s.”
Many of his articles, published by The
Public Health Journal, established food
handling processes and procedures that are
still followed today.
RADM Todd stated in an e-mail about
CAPT Prime, “Having personally known
and on many occasions worked with
George he was indeed an individual that
you liked and enjoyed being associated
with from the very minute you met him. I
know there are many PHS Officers of all
his PHS colleagues. Acting Deputy
Surgeon General, RADM Robert
Williams, spoke warmly of CAPT
Dunn’s humanity and his dedication to
excellent science in the service of worker
health and safety. Also present was
RADM Boris Lushniak. A plaque honoring
CAPT Dunn is inscribed with a
question he often posed: "What have
you done for the worker today?"
categories of this age vintage 70--80 years
plus retired and some still working that will
remember Sanitarian Director George
Prime with fond memories.”
CAPT Prime married Armella Rae
(Toby) Thompson on June 25, 1950, and
together they had one daughter, Susan
Lynn (Prime) Robinson. Armella preceded
him in death on June 25, 1987. CAPT
Prime married Glenna Sue Prime on
August 23, 1991 and they relocated from
Hemphill, TX to Llano, TX. CAPT Prime
was preceded in death by his sister,
Geraldine Prime Hopkins. He is survived
by his wife, daughter, son-in-law, Glenn
Robinson, four grandchildren, and his two
step-sons.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 • COA FRONTLINE 23

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The COA Frontline (ISSN 10937161) is published monthly
except a combined issue January/February and July/August
by the Commissioned Officers Association of the United
States Public Health Service, 8201 Corporate Drive, Suite
200, Landover, MD 20785, (301) 731-9080; Toll-free (866)
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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to COA Frontline c/o
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A report of timely information concerning activities of
the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service.
Distributed exclusively to Association members.
COA FRONTLINE
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Landover, MD 20785
Periodicals
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Jerry Farrell
gfarrell@coausphs.org
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