Brig. Gen Lee E. Payne is the Air Mobility Command Surgeon, serving at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. As chief medical consultant to the Commander, Air Mobility Command, he ensures maximum combat readiness, operational health, and efficient delivery of health care to 448,000 beneficiaries. He provides guidance on medical capabilities through plans, operational policies, military specific medical training, consultation, and financial management. General Payne oversees the health care services provided by 6,250 medical personnel at 12 military treatment facilities and two aeromedical evacuation squadrons. He oversees a medical budget of $781 million and assets exceeding $1.6 billion. As Command Surgeon, General Payne is responsible for clinical oversight of the Air Force global aeromedical evacuation system which is a keystone of our national en route care capabilities. En route care consists of care for combat casualties from the point of injury on the battlefield all the way to definitive care at U.S.-based military medical centers. The general leads clinical operations capability development and sets research priorities for aeromedical evacuation and the transformational Air Force Critical Care Air Transport Teams and Tactical Critical Care Evacuation Teams.
General Payne received his commission from the Reserve Officer Training Corps graduating with high distinction from the University of Kentucky in 1979. He earned his medical degree from Vanderbilt Medical School, completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Colorado and a year of Medical Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. General Payne is a chief physician, Chief Flight Surgeon, and is board certified in Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine. In his 29 years of service he has served as faculty in two military academic Emergency Medicine residency training programs, as the Assistant Chief of Professional Services at the Air Force’s largest medical center, as a Major Command staff officer, and has commanded at the squadron level, three times as a Medical Group Commander including a Medical Center Command and served twice previously as a MAJCOM Surgeon.
Prior to his current position, the general was the Commander, Air Force Medical Operations Agency (AFMOA), Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.
EDUCATION
1979 Bachelor of Science, Zoology, University of Kentucky at Lexington
1983 Doctor of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn.
1984 Internal Medicine Internship, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver
1986 Internal Medicine Residency, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver
1987 Hematology/Oncology Fellowship, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, N.Y.
1996 Aerospace Medicine Primary Course, Brooks AFB, Texas
1997 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala
1998 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala
2012 Master of Business Administration, University of Massachusetts Amherst Isenberg School of Management
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1987 - June 1992, Staff Emergency Physician, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, Wash.
2. June 1992 - October 1995, Staff Emergency Physician; Chief, Division of Acute Care and Deputy
Director of Professional Services, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB, Texas
3. October 1995 - April 1997, Chief of Clinical Medicine Branch, Directorate of Medical Services and Training, HQ AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas
4. April 1997 - June 1999, Commander, 325th Medical Operations Squadron, Tyndall AFB Fla.
5. June 1999 - June 2001, Deputy Commander, 31st Medical Group Aviano AB, Italy
6. June 2001 - July 2003, Commander, 39th Medical Group, Incirlik AB, Turkey
7. July 2003 - April 2005, Commander, 31st Medical Group, Aviano AB, Italy
8. April 2005 - July 2006, USCENTAF Command Surgeon, Shaw AFB, S.C.
9. July 2006 - August 2009, Commander, 60th Medical Group, David Grant USAF Medical Center, Travis AFB, Calif.
10. August 2009 - May 2012, Command Surgeon, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
11. May 2012 - August 2014, Deputy Assistant Surgeon General, Health Care Operations, Office of the Air Force Surgeon General, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
12. August 2014 - May 2016, Commander, Air Force Medical Operations Agency, Joint Base San Antonio Lackland, Texas
13. June 2016 - present, Command Surgeon, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Chief flight surgeon
Flying hours: More than 750
Aircraft: KC-10, C-130, C-17, F-15, F-16, E-3, KC-135, T-37, T-38, and the T-43.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Fellow American College of Emergency Physicians
Fellow American College of Healthcare Executives
Fellow American Association for Physician Leadership
Fellow American College of Physicians
Certified Physician Executive
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant May 12, 1979
First Lieutenant April 29, 1982
Captain May 14, 1983
Major May 14, 1989
Lieutenant Colonel May 14, 1995
Colonel May 14, 2001
Brigadier General Sept. 2, 2014
(Current as of June 2016)