MAJOR GENERAL HOWARD A. MCMAHAN

Maj. Gen. Howard A. McMahan is mobilization assistant to the Surgeon General of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C. 

General McMahan, a native of Andrews, N.C., graduated summa cum laude in mathematics from King College, Bristol, Tenn. He earned his medical degree at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he entered the Air Force through the Health Professions Scholarship Program.  The general has served as a flight surgeon at the U.S. Air Force Hospital, Little Rock AFB, Ark., and the Cadet Clinic at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He completed his residency in orthopedic surgery, serving in hospitals at MacDill AFB, Fla., and Robins AFB, Ga. His commands include an air transportable hospital, medical squadron and aeromedical staging squadron. The general has served as mobilization assistant to the Commander, 74th Medical Group, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and to the Command Surgeon, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va. Prior to his current assignment, he was mobilization assistant to the Deputy Surgeon General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force.

As a civilian, he is in private practice in orthopedic surgery at a teaching hospital in Atlanta, Ga.

EDUCATION
1971 Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics, King College, Bristol, Tenn.
1975 Doctor of Medicine degree, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill
1976 Internship, Rotating 4, North Carolina Memorial Hospital, Chapel Hill
1977 Aerospace Medicine Primary Course, USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks AFB, Texas
1985 Orthopedic Surgery residency, Georgia Baptist Medical Center, Atlanta
1993 Air War College, by seminar

ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 1976 - June 1978, flight surgeon, U.S. Air Force Hospital, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
2. July 1978 - June 1981, flight surgeon, Cadet Clinic, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
3. July 1981 - June 1985, resident in orthopedic surgery, Air Force Institute of Technology, Georgia Baptist Medical Center, Atlanta
4. July 1985 - June 1987, orthopedic surgeon, U.S. Air Force Hospital, MacDill AFB, Fla.
5. May 1986 - June 1987, Commander, Air Transportable Hospital, MacDill AFB, Fla.
6. July 1987 - March 1989, orthopedic surgeon, Detachment 3, 13th U.S. Air Force Contingency Hospital, Robins AFB, Ga.
7. April 1989 - September 1991, Commander, Detachment 3, 13th U.S. Air Force Contingency Hospital, Robins AFB, Ga.
8. January 1990 - April 1990, mobilized for operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, 13th U.S. Air Force Contingency Hospital, Scott AFB, Ill.
9. September 1991 - September 1993, Commander, 94th Medical Squadron, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga.
10. October 1993 - August 1995, Commander, 94th Aeromedical Staging Squadron, Dobbins ARB, Ga.
11. August 1995 - April 1997, mobilization assistant to the Commander, 74th Medical Group, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
12. April 1997 - January 2003, mobilization assistant to the Command Surgeon, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va.
13. January 2003 - January 2004, mobilization assistant to the Deputy Surgeon General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.
14. January 2004 - present, mobilization assistant to the Surgeon General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.

FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Chief flight surgeon
Flight hours: 438
Aircraft flown: C-130, C-9, C-141, C-17, T-41, T-43, KC-135, CT-39, UTH-1A, UH-1V and UV-18B

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with three oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal with two bronze stars
Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with silver oak leaf cluster
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with hourglass and two "M" devices
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
Air Force Training Ribbon

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
Board certified and re-certified in orthopedic surgery by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery
Fellow, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery
1979 Command Flight Surgeon of the Year, U.S. Air Force Academy

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Life member, Reserve Officers Association
Association of Military Surgeons of the United States
Aerospace Medical Association
Life member, Association of Air Force Reserve Flight Surgeons
Georgia Orthopedic Society
Michael Hoke Society
Medical Association of Atlanta
Atlanta Orthopedic Society
Medical Association of Georgia

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
First Lieutenant Dec. 28, 1973
Captain Dec. 27, 1974
Major Oct. 28, 1980
Lieutenant Colonel June 18, 1986
Colonel May 1, 1990
Brigadier General June 30, 1999
Major General April 4, 2005

(Current as of June 2008)