MAJOR GENERAL MELISSA A. RANK
Maj. Gen. Melissa A. Rank is Assistant Air Force Surgeon General, Medical Force Development, and Assistant Air Force Surgeon General, Nursing Services, Office of the Surgeon General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Bolling Air Force Base, D.C. As Assistant Air Force Surgeon General, Medical Force Development, she establishes new and appraises existing personnel policy and enhancement actions for more than 34,000 active-duty officer and enlisted medical personnel. She collaborates with Department of Defense agencies and Air Staff directorates to establish and meet future staffing needs. Her directorate is also responsible for all medical force education and training programs. As Assistant Air Force Surgeon General, Nursing Services, she creates and evaluates nursing policies and programs for 19,000 active-duty, Guard and Reserve nursing personnel. She interacts with major commands, the Air Staff, other military services and the Joint Staff on nursing services matters to ensure the highest caliber of nursing care and personnel.
General Rank was born in Frostburg, Md., and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Maryland at Baltimore in 1975. While attending the University of Maryland full time, General Rank was employed as a senior registered nurse at Baltimore City Hospitals in the Medical-Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit, as a public health nurse at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, and clinical nurse researcher at the Center for Disease Control. Her Air Force career began as a staff nurse at Dover AFB, Del., and she has held a wide variety of clinical and supervisory positions at medical facilities in the United States, Germany and Japan.
The general previously served in the Office of the Surgeon General as Executive Management Fellow for Services, Chief of Plans, Policies and Programs for Nursing Services in the Directorate of Work Force Management, and Deputy Assistant Surgeon General for Health Care Operations. She also served for one year as the U.S. Air Force Surgeon Chair to Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala. General Rank has commanded an aeromedical evacuation squadron in Southwest Asia, a medical operations squadron and two medical groups.
EDUCATION
1975 Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, University of Maryland at Baltimore
1980 Nursing Service Management Course, School of Health Care Sciences, Sheppard AFB, Texas
1982 Flight Nurse School, School of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks AFB, Texas
1984 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1984 Air Command and Staff College, by seminar
1990 Master's degree in nursing administration, University of Texas at San Antonio
1999 Master's degree in strategic studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 1978 - February 1982, staff nurse, Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit, and charge nurse, OB/GYN Clinic, Dover AFB, Del.
2. February 1982 - May 1984, charge nurse, Minimal Care Unit; clinical nurse, Intermediate Care Unit; supervisor, Outpatient Nursing Services, Chanute AFB, Ill.
3. May 1984 - May 1987, staff nurse, Pediatric Unit; night supervisor and Chief Nurse, 18th Aeromedical Staging Flight, Wiesbaden Regional Medical Center, Weisbaden, West Germany
4. May 1987 - October 1991, charge nurse, Neurosurgical Unit; clinical supervisor, Surgical Units; and quality improvement and risk management coordinator for the Division of Nursing, Wilford Hall Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas
5. October 1991 - September 1994, officer in charge, In-flight Nursing Care; assistant Chief, Nursing Services; and Chief, Nursing Services, 9th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Yokota Air Base, Japan (October 1992 - January 1993, Commander, 1611th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (Provisional), Southwest Asia)
6. September 1994 - September 1996, Commander, 22nd Medical Operations Squadron, and Chief Nurse Executive, 22nd Medical Group, McConnell AFB, Kan.
7. September 1996 - July 1998, Executive Management Fellow for Services, and Chief of Plans, Policies and Programs for Nursing Services, Directorate of Work Force Management, Office of the Surgeon General, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.
8. July 1998 - June 1999, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
9. June 1999 - July 2000, U.S. Air Force Surgeon Chair to Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. July 2000 - July 2002, Commander, 20th Medical Group, Shaw AFB, S.C.
11. July 2002 - July 2004, Commander, 99th Medical Group, Nellis AFB, Nev.
12. July 2004 - July 2005, Deputy Assistant Surgeon General for Health Care Operations, Office of the Surgeon General, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.
13. July 2005 - present, Assistant Air Force Surgeon General, Medical Force Development, and Assistant Air Force Surgeon General, Nursing Services, Office of the Surgeon General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Bolling AFB, D.C.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Sigma Theta Tau International
American Nurses Association
Kansas Nurses Association
Association of Military Surgeons of the United States
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Captain Feb. 1, 1980
Major May 1, 1987
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 1993
Colonel March 1, 1999
Brigadier General Jan. 1, 2005
Major General Oct. 1, 2005
(Current as of December 2005)
General Rank was born in Frostburg, Md., and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Maryland at Baltimore in 1975. While attending the University of Maryland full time, General Rank was employed as a senior registered nurse at Baltimore City Hospitals in the Medical-Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit, as a public health nurse at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, and clinical nurse researcher at the Center for Disease Control. Her Air Force career began as a staff nurse at Dover AFB, Del., and she has held a wide variety of clinical and supervisory positions at medical facilities in the United States, Germany and Japan.
The general previously served in the Office of the Surgeon General as Executive Management Fellow for Services, Chief of Plans, Policies and Programs for Nursing Services in the Directorate of Work Force Management, and Deputy Assistant Surgeon General for Health Care Operations. She also served for one year as the U.S. Air Force Surgeon Chair to Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala. General Rank has commanded an aeromedical evacuation squadron in Southwest Asia, a medical operations squadron and two medical groups.
EDUCATION
1975 Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, University of Maryland at Baltimore
1980 Nursing Service Management Course, School of Health Care Sciences, Sheppard AFB, Texas
1982 Flight Nurse School, School of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks AFB, Texas
1984 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1984 Air Command and Staff College, by seminar
1990 Master's degree in nursing administration, University of Texas at San Antonio
1999 Master's degree in strategic studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 1978 - February 1982, staff nurse, Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit, and charge nurse, OB/GYN Clinic, Dover AFB, Del.
2. February 1982 - May 1984, charge nurse, Minimal Care Unit; clinical nurse, Intermediate Care Unit; supervisor, Outpatient Nursing Services, Chanute AFB, Ill.
3. May 1984 - May 1987, staff nurse, Pediatric Unit; night supervisor and Chief Nurse, 18th Aeromedical Staging Flight, Wiesbaden Regional Medical Center, Weisbaden, West Germany
4. May 1987 - October 1991, charge nurse, Neurosurgical Unit; clinical supervisor, Surgical Units; and quality improvement and risk management coordinator for the Division of Nursing, Wilford Hall Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas
5. October 1991 - September 1994, officer in charge, In-flight Nursing Care; assistant Chief, Nursing Services; and Chief, Nursing Services, 9th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Yokota Air Base, Japan (October 1992 - January 1993, Commander, 1611th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (Provisional), Southwest Asia)
6. September 1994 - September 1996, Commander, 22nd Medical Operations Squadron, and Chief Nurse Executive, 22nd Medical Group, McConnell AFB, Kan.
7. September 1996 - July 1998, Executive Management Fellow for Services, and Chief of Plans, Policies and Programs for Nursing Services, Directorate of Work Force Management, Office of the Surgeon General, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.
8. July 1998 - June 1999, student, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
9. June 1999 - July 2000, U.S. Air Force Surgeon Chair to Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
10. July 2000 - July 2002, Commander, 20th Medical Group, Shaw AFB, S.C.
11. July 2002 - July 2004, Commander, 99th Medical Group, Nellis AFB, Nev.
12. July 2004 - July 2005, Deputy Assistant Surgeon General for Health Care Operations, Office of the Surgeon General, Bolling AFB, Washington, D.C.
13. July 2005 - present, Assistant Air Force Surgeon General, Medical Force Development, and Assistant Air Force Surgeon General, Nursing Services, Office of the Surgeon General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Bolling AFB, D.C.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Combat Readiness Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Sigma Theta Tau International
American Nurses Association
Kansas Nurses Association
Association of Military Surgeons of the United States
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Captain Feb. 1, 1980
Major May 1, 1987
Lieutenant Colonel May 1, 1993
Colonel March 1, 1999
Brigadier General Jan. 1, 2005
Major General Oct. 1, 2005
(Current as of December 2005)