Brig. Gen. (Dr.) John R. Andrus serves as the Joint Staff Surgeon. As such, he is the senior medical advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, providing military medical advice to the Chairman, the Joint Staff, and combatant commanders. He coordinates all Joint Force military health services, including operational medicine, force health protection and readiness with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, combatant commands, services, interagency and international partners to seamlessly shape and synchronize the global health service continuum.
Brig. Gen. Andrus entered the Air Force in 1988 through the Uniformed Services University and has completed family medicine, aerospace medicine and general preventive medicine residencies. He has served as Staff Family Physician, Allergy Provider, NASA Support Flight Surgeon, Squadron Flight Surgeon and Chief of Aerospace Medicine, and has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels. Staff tours include service as Deputy Command Surgeon at U.S. Africa Command, Command Surgeon at U.S. Air Force Space Command and Command Surgeon and Director, Global Patient Movement at U.S. Transportation Command. Prior to his current position, he served as Commander, 711th Human Performance Wing, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Brig. Gen. Andrus is a chief flight surgeon who has logged the majority of his flying hours in airlift missions in C-130E, C-9A, C-17A, C-5A, and T-1A aircraft. A career flight surgeon, he deployed to support Atlas Response airlift operations and was the lead operational flight surgeon in the evacuation of injured USS Cole Sailors from Yemen. He is the recipient of the Mackay Trophy, the Malcolm C. Grow Award and the Life Cycle Logistics Field Award.
EDUCATION
1988 Bachelor of Science, Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine
1993 Doctor of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Md.
1996 Family Practice Residency, 60th Medical Group, Travis Air Force Base, Calif.
1997 Aerospace Medicine Primary Course, U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
1998 Squadron Officer School, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2002 Master of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley
2002 Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2003 Aerospace Medicine Residency, U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks City-Base, Texas
2004 General Preventive Medicine Residency, U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks City-Base, Texas
2007 Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2014 Joint Senior Leader Course, the Pentagon, Arlington Va.
2016 Master of Science, National Resource Strategy (Supply Chain Management Concentration), Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2021 Project Management Professional Certification, Project Management Institute, Philadelphia, Pa.
2022 Air Force Enterprise Leadership Seminar, Keenan-Flagler Business School, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
2023 Continuous Improvement and Innovation Executive (CI2E), Institute of Defense and Business, Chapel Hill, N.C.
2023 Capstone General and Flag Officer Course, National Defense University, Washington, D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 1988–May 1993, Medical Student, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Md.
2. July 1993–June 1996, Family Practice Resident, 60th Medical Group, Travis Air Force Base, Calif.
3. August 1996–July 1998, Family Physician, 65th Medical Group, Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal
4. July 1998–June 1999, Flight Surgeon, 86th Medical Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
5. July 1999–July 2001, Flight Surgeon, 37th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein AB, Germany
6. August 2001–June 2002, Air Force Institute of Technology, Graduate Student, University of California, Berkeley
7. July 2002–June 2004, Resident in Aerospace Medicine, U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks City-Base, Texas
8. July 2004–June 2006, Chief of Aerospace Medicine, 62nd Medical Group, McChord AFB, Wash.
9. June 2006–June 2008, Commander, 62nd Medical Operations Squadron, McChord AFB, Wash.
10. June 2008–July 2009, Commander, 62nd Medical Squadron, McChord AFB, Wash.
11. September 2009–July 2012, Deputy Command Surgeon, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces Africa Command, Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany
12. July 2012–July 2015, Commander, 59th Medical Operations Group, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
13. July 2015–June 2016, Student, Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
14. July 2016–June 2018, Command Surgeon, Headquarters U.S. Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo.
15. June 2018–July 2021, Command Surgeon, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
16. July 2021–June 2023, Commander, 711th Human Performance Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
17. June 2023–present, Joint Staff Surgeon, The Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Va.
JOINT ASSIGNMENTS
1. September 2009–July 2012, Deputy Command Surgeon, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces Africa Command, Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany, as a colonel
2. June 2018–July 2021, Command Surgeon, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill., as a colonel and brigadier general
3. June 2023–present, Joint Staff Surgeon, The Joint Staff, Pentagon, Va., as a brigadier general
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: chief flight surgeon
Flight hours: more than 910
Aircraft flown: C-5A, C9A, C-17A, C-21A, C-130E, C-130H, T-1, T-37, T-38, F-16D, UH-1, HH-60
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with five oak leaf clusters
Air Force Recognition Ribbon
Kosovo Campaign Medal
Humanitarian Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1992 Emma L. Bockman Memorial Award for outstanding scholarly activity
1993 Outstanding Family Practice Student Award
1996 Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, Resident Teacher Award
2000 Mackay Trophy Recipient
2000 Malcolm C. Grow Air Force Flight Surgeon of the Year Award
2016 Life Cycle Logistics Field Award, The International Society of Logistics, Defense Acquisition University
(Current as of August 2023)