BRIGADIER GENERAL (DR.) RICHARD A. "RICK" HERSACK

Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Richard A. Hersack is Command Surgeon, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He is the principal medical adviser to the AFMC Commander, promoting the health and well-being of 84,000 AFMC military and civilian personnel. He leads AFMC Medical Service implementation and execution of Air Force Surgeon General medical policies and programs for eight medical treatment facilities and the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, overseeing an annual budget of more than $580 million. General Hersack ensures the more than 6,300 medical personnel are ready to deploy and able to provide robust medical contingency support at all AFMC installations, while monitoring the delivery of medical care for more than 435,000 beneficiaries. He oversees environmental and occupational health support for AFMC's industrial, research, development, testing and evaluation missions, including all medical aspects of AFMC's nuclear and biological personal reliability programs. He promotes career force development and clinical skills sustainment for all AFMC medical personnel and oversees operational medicine research, development, education and training programs conducted at the Air Force Research Laboratory's 711th Human Performance Wing.

General Hersack graduated from St. Louis University School of Medicine in 1983. After completing a surgical internship, he served two tours as a squadron medical element flight surgeon and Chief, Flight Medicine. Following his anesthesiology residency, he remained at Wilford Hall Medical Center and served as the Arthur B. Tarrow Chairman, Department of Anesthesia. The general was one of the original developers of both the Mobile Field Surgical Team and Critical Care Air Transport Team. His operational and humanitarian deployments include the response to the bombing of the Murray Federal Building in Oklahoma City and operations Joint Endeavor and Assured Response.

After graduating from Air War College, General Hersack remained at Air University as the Air Force Surgeon General Chair. His other assignments include Command Surgeon and Director, Health Services, Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command, and Commander of the 51st Medical Group, Osan Air Base, South Korea. Prior to his current assignment, he was Chief, Medical Readiness Policy and Operations for the Air Force Surgeon General, overseeing all Air Force medical deployments and operations worldwide. General Hersack is a chief flight surgeon with more than 900 flying hours, more than 350 of which are in the F-16B/D models, plus 25 combat sorties in C-130 aircraft.

EDUCATION
1979 Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry, The Colorado College, Colorado Springs
1982 Aerospace Medicine Primary Course, USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks AFB, Texas
1983 Doctor of Medicine degree, St. Louis University School of Medicine, Mo.
1984 Surgical internship, David Grant Medical Center, Travis AFB, Calif.
1993 Anesthesiology residency, Wilford Hall Medical Center, 59th Medical Wing, Lackland AFB, Texas
2000 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2001 Medical Health Service Capstone Course, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
2007 National Security Leadership Course, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, N.Y.
2008 USAF Senior Leadership Course, Center for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, N.C.
2009 Capstone General and Flag Officer Course, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1983 - July 1984, surgical internship, David Grant Medical Center, Travis AFB, Calif.
2. August 1984 - August 1988, flight surgeon, Medical Element , 613th Tactical Fighter Squadron, and Chief, Flight Medicine, 401st Tactical Hospital, Torrejon Air Base, Spain 
3. August 1988 - June 1990, flight surgeon, Medical Element , 33rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, and officer in charge, Flight Medicine, 363rd Medical Group, Shaw AFB, S.C. 
4. July 1990 - June 1993, anesthesiology residency, Wilford Hall Medical Center, and Chief Resident, Anesthesiology, 59th Medical Wing, Lackland AFB, Texas
5. July 1993 - July 1999, staff anesthesiologist; Assistant Chairman for Education, later, Vice Chairman, Department of Anesthesia; Commander, Anesthesia Flight; and Arthur B Tarrow Chairman, Anesthesia Services, 59th Medical Wing, Lackland AFB, Texas
6. July 1999 - June 2000, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
7. June 2000 - July 2002, Air Force Surgeon General Chair to Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
8. July 2002 - June 2004, Command Surgeon and Director, Health Services, Air Force Reserve Command, Robins AFB, Ga.
9. June 2004 - June 2006, Commander, 51st Medical Group, Osan AB, South Korea
10. June 2006 - September 2007, Chief, Medical Readiness Policy and Operations, Office of the Surgeon General, Bolling AFB, D.C.
11. September 2007 - present, Command Surgeon, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Chief flight surgeon
Flight hours: More than 900
Aircraft flown: F-15, F-16, C-130, WC-130, C-141, C-5, C-9, C-12, C-17, C-23, E-3A and KC-135R

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1985 Malcolm C. Grow Award for the USAF Flight Surgeon of the Year
1985 Flight Surgeon of the Year, USAFE
Air Force Surgeon General's Award for Best Anesthesia Research Paper
Department of Anesthesia Arthur B. Tarrow Award for Outstanding Resident Research
Thomas "Dutch" Miller Award for Outstanding USAF Counterproliferation Center Research

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Captain May 8, 1983
Major May 14, 1989
Lieutenant Colonel May 7 1995
Colonel May 28, 1999
Brigadier General April 15, 2008 

(Current as of July 2011)