Maj. Gen. John J. Bartrum was the Mobilization Assistant to the Surgeon General of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
He directed Air Force Medical Service operations, composed of a 6.1 billion dollars, 44,000-person integrated health care delivery system serving 2.6 million beneficiaries at 76 military treatment facilities worldwide. He oversaw the daily functions of the Air Force Surgeon General's office and AFMEDCOM with offices in Arlington and Falls Church, Virginia, Fort Detrick, Maryland, and San Antonio, Texas. Included in these functions are clinical operations, aeromedical evacuation, global force management, readiness, strategic medical plans, programs and budget, medical force management and medical information systems management. Maj. Gen. Bartrum coordinated AFMS and AFMEDCOM operations through major commands, joint service agencies, the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs), the Defense Health Agency and the Department of Veterans Affairs. He was mobilized in 2020 to support the all-of-government response to COVID. He developed enhanced doctrine and oversaw the coordination of the joint federal agency medical response in support of state, local, territorial and tribal medical requests. He was awarded the 2020 American Hospital Association Federal Health Care Executive Award for Excellence in April 2021 for his leadership on the federal COVID response mission.
Maj. Gen. Bartrum earned a direct commission in 1995, after completing his Master of Business Administration from Southern Illinois University and over a decade of enlisted service. Throughout his 30-year officer career he worked in both the Aeromedical Evacuation and Aeromedical Staging Squadrons. He was the first commander of a new medical unit at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, to provide support for geographically separated reserve units from two Air Force Reserve Command Numbered Air Forces. Prior to assuming his current position, Maj. Gen. Bartrum served as the MA to the Deputy Surgeon General of the Air Force. He also served as the MA to the Air Force Medical Operations Agency Commander and Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Deputy Assistant U.S. Air Force Surgeon General, Health Care Operations and Medical Research, Defense Health Headquarters and the IMA Liaison to U.S. Air Force Surgeon General for Medical Reserve Forces. He also serves as the AFRC Medical Functional leader and the senior ranking Medical Service Corps officer in the Air Force.
In his civilian capacity, Maj. Gen. Bartrum is a senior government official with the Department of Veterans Affairs who has served in Administrative Agencies, Departments, Executive Office of the President’s Office of Management and Budget and served as senior professional staff member in the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee. He earned the rank of Senior Executive Service. In his private sector experience, he was a Partner in a top global law firm and the Chief Executive Officer of a strategic advisory firm he founded.
EDUCATION
1988 Associate of Survival/Rescue Operations, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
1990 Bachelor of Business Administration, McKendree College, Ill.
1991 Associate of Bioenvironmental Engineering, Community College of the Air Force, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1994 Master of Business Administration, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville
1996 Health Service Administration Course, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas
2002 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2004 Juris Doctor, George Mason University School of Law, Arlington, Va.
2006 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2012 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2015 Leadership Development Track for Air Reserve Component High Potential Officers, Falls Church, Va.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1984–March 1988, Enlisted Aircraft Maintenance, Fabrication and Parachute Specialist, 375th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.
2. March 1988–May 1990, Inactive Ready Reserve
3. May 1990–April 1995, U.S. Air Force Reserve Enlisted Bioenvironmental Engineering Specialist, 13th Air Force Contingency Hospital, Scott AFB, Ill; and Aircraft Maintenance, Fabrication and Parachute Specialist, 932nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Scott AFB, Ill.
4. April 1995–September 1996, Health Service Administrator, 932nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron, Scott AFB, Ill.
5. September 1996–November 1996, Health Service Administration Course, Sheppard AFB, Texas
6. November 1996–August 1998, Health Service Administrator, 932nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron, Scott AFB, Ill.
7. August 1998–May 2005, Chief Aeromedical Operations, 459th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Andrews AFB, Md. (May 2003–August 2003, Operations Officer and Officer in Charge, 320th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Seeb Air Base, Oman)
8. May 2005–November 2008, Chief of Medical Administration, 622nd Regional Support Group, Dobbins AFB, Ga.
9. November 2008–July 2012, Commander, 610th Aerospace Medicine Flight, Langley AFB, Va.
10. July 2012–July 2013, Commander, 920th Aerospace Medicine Flight, Langley AFB, Va.
11. July 2013–April 2014, Individual Mobilization Augmentee, Liaison to Air Force Surgeon General for Medical Reserve Forces, Defense Heath Headquarter, Falls Church, Va.
12. April 2014–February 2016, Individual Mobilization Augmentee, Deputy Assistant U.S. Air Force Surgeon General, Health Care Operations and Medical Research, Defense Heath Headquarters, Falls Church, Va.
13. February 2016–December 2018, Mobilization Assistant to the Air Force Medical Operations Agency Commander, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
14. December 2018–April 2021, Mobilization Assistant to the Deputy Surgeon General, Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va. (March 2020–October 2020, Government-wide COVID Emergency Support Function-8 (Public Health and Medical Services) Deputy Incident Commander, Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Washington D.C.)
15. April 2021–present, Mobilization Assistant to the Surgeon General of the Air and Space Force and Air Force Medical Command Commander, Headquarters Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award with Valor Device with three oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Organizational Excellence Award with oak leaf cluster
AF Good Conduct Medal with oak leaf cluster
Humanitarian Service Medal
Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
Department of Health and Human Services Pinnacle Award
(Current as of October 2025)