Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Bart O. Iddins is the Commander of the 59th Medical Wing, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, and leads the Air Force’s largest medical wing consisting of over 8,000 personnel, 7 groups, 11 medical facilities across the San Antonio metropolitan area, and multiple worldwide deployment sites. He oversees the execution of the 59th Medical Wing’s multipronged mission of providing worldwide contingency healthcare support, home station comprehensive healthcare services, clinical research, graduate medical education, and enlisted medical force technical training for 16 of the 19 Air Force enlisted medical career fields—more than 12,000 trainees per year. Additionally, as Chief Executive Officer of the San Antonio Military Health System, General Iddins directs and manages the overall operations and resources of an integrated, joint-service health system with a collective operating budget of $1.2 billion which provides high-quality, safe, and reliable healthcare to more than 240,000 beneficiaries.
General Iddins entered the Air Force as a veterinarian and public health officer. He earned his medical degree in 1991 and was assigned as a flight surgeon to the 352nd Special Operations Group at RAF Alconbury and RAF Mildenhall, England. In 2000, he completed residency training and received specialty board certification in Dermatology. He served as Commander, 377th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, and the 410th Expeditionary Medical Group at a classified forward deployed location during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. General Iddins also served a 15-month tour as Commander, Joint Task Force MED, the Combined Joint Task Force-82's Medical Support Brigade in Afghanistan. Composed of more than 1,100 joint combined medical personnel, Joint Task Force MED provided direct command and control of echelon-above-brigade U.S., Egyptian, Jordanian, and Korean medical forces deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom.
General Iddins graduated with highest academic distinction from Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, and subsequently served as Commander, 42nd Medical Group at Maxwell AFB. This was followed by a position as Vice Commander, 59th Medical Wing, Lackland AFB, Texas, and Command Surgeon, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Florida, and Command Surgeon, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Illinois. General Iddins has substantial deployment experience and has worked extensively with foreign governments and militaries regarding healthcare infrastructure development and healthcare capacity building.
EDUCATION
1982 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville
1987 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
1991 Doctor of Medicine degree, Texas A&M University, College Station, and University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas
1992 Transitional internship, Wilford Hall Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas
1997 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2000 Dermatology residency, Wilford Hall Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas
2004 Master of Strategic Studies degree, with highest distinction, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2015 Master of Science degree in Health Care Management, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. October 1985 – July 1987, Chief, Military Public Health, Goodfellow AFB, Texas
2. August 1987 – May 1991, medical student, Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program, College Station and San Antonio, Texas
3. June 1991 – July 1992, transitional internship, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB, Texas
4. September 1992 – October 1994, flight surgeon, 67th Special Operations Squadron, and Medical Director, 321st Special Tactics Squadron, Royal Air Force Alconbury, England
5. October 1994 – June 1997, Medical Flight Commander, 352nd Special Operations Group, and Medical Director, 321st Special Tactics Squadron, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England
6. July 1997 – June 2000, dermatology resident, 59th Medical Wing, Lackland AFB, Texas
7. July 2000 – August 2001, Medical Services Flight Commander, 55th Medical Operations Squadron, Offutt AFB, Neb.
8. August 2000 – January 2002, Deputy Squadron Commander, 55th Medical Group, Offutt AFB, Neb.
9. July 2001 – January 2002, Chief, Medical Staff, 55th Medical Group, Offutt AFB, Neb.
10. January 2002 – July 2003, Commander, 377th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Kirtland AFB, N.M. (January 2003 – May 2003, Commander, 410th Expeditionary Medical Group, Southwest Asia)
11. July 2003 – June 2004, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
12. June 2004 – August 2006, Commander, 42nd Medical Group, Maxwell AFB, Ala. [May 2005 - November 2005, validating surgeon, U.S. Central Command Theater, and surgeon (forward), U.S. Air Forces Central, Combined Air Operations Center, Southwest Asia]
13. September 2006 – October 2008, Vice Commander, 59th Medical Wing, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB, Texas (January 2007 - April 2008, Commander, Joint Task Force MED, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan)
14. October 2008 – September 2010, Command Surgeon, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
15. September 2010 – April 2014, Command Surgeon, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
16. April 2014 – present, Commander, 59th Medical Wing, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
17. September 2015 – present, Chief Executive Officer, San Antonio Military Health System, San Antonio, Texas
SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. May 2005 - November 2005, validating surgeon, U.S. Central Command Theater, and surgeon (forward),
U.S. Air Forces Central, Combined Air Operations Center, Southwest Asia, as a colonel
2. January 2007 - April 2008, Commander, Joint Task Force MED, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, as a colonel
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Chief Flight Surgeon and basic parachutist
Flight hours: More than 1,250 (combat sorties, 166; combat support sorties, 99)
Aircraft flown: MH-53, UH-1, UH-60, MH-47, HC-130, MC-130, AC-130, C-17, C-9, C-5, C-141, KC-135, GA-8, CE-182, T-37, MI-17
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Medal with oak leaf cluster
Aerial Achievement Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Joint Service Commendation Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Air Force Combat Action Medal
Combat Readiness Medal with oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal with one device
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal with one device
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one device
Humanitarian Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal
NATO Medal
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Captain June 15, 1987
Major June 15, 1993
Lieutenant Colonel May 31, 1999
Colonel May 31, 2003
Brigadier General Nov. 2, 2009
Major General April 10, 2014
(Current as of June 2018)