BRIGADIER GENERAL CHRISTOPHER W. LENTZ
Brig. Gen. Christopher W. Lentz is the Mobilization Assistant to the Air Force Deputy Surgeon General, Office of the Surgeon General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Falls Church, Virginia. As the Mobilization Assistant, he assists the Deputy Surgeon General in directing the operations of the Air Force Medical Service, comprising a $7.1 billion, 43,000-person integrated health care delivery system serving 2.4 million beneficiaries at 75 military treatment facilities world-wide. Included in these functions are clinical operations and quality, aeromedical evacuation, global force management, readiness, strategic medical plans, programs and budget, medical force management and medical information systems management. General Lentz coordinates Air Force Medical Service operations through major commands, Joint Service agencies, the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs), the TRICARE Management Activity and the Department of Veterans Affairs. He is also a subject matter expert for Critical Care Air Transport. He also is responsible for implementation of Air Force Medical Service strategy and policy within AMC with regard to the Air Reserve Component.
Gen. Lentz was commissioned in 1983 and was a recipient of the U.S. Air Force Health Professions Scholarship. He has a diverse military career serving on active duty as well as in the Air Force Reserve as both a traditional reservist and as an individual mobilization augmentee. He was one of the first Critical Care Air Transport Physicians and was instrumental in developing the CCATT Training Course. He was one of the first Air Force Physicians to receive the Academic and Clinical Grand Master special experience identifier. He was also chosen as a Charter Member of the Reserve Medical Corps Force Development Team at the Air Reserve Personnel Center in Denver, Colorado, in 2007 and has been responsible for shaping the future reserve medical corps. He was recently the Commander of the 315th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. His squadron was awarded the Air Force Reserve Command Aerospace Medicine Squadron of the Year and Small Dental Clinic of the Year in 2011.
In his civilian occupation, he is a national burn expert and is the current chairman of the National Burn Repository Committee for the American Burn Association. He was instrumental in developing the mass casualty plan for thermal injury patients in the State of New York. Gen. Lentz was recruited to serve as Medical Director for Burn, Wound and Hyperbaric Medicine at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, which serves a six state area and has one of the country's largest hyperbaric medicine facilities. He is a preeminent national expert in treating burn shock and serves as a consultant for burn shock resuscitation. He provides emergency consultation for altitude and decompression sickness for Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Gen. Lentz has authored more than 100 articles, book chapters and professional abstracts. He is a nationally recognized educator and has been chosen to lead post graduate courses in burn care for both the American Burn Association and the American College of Surgeons.
EDUCATION
1984 Bachelor of Biological Sciences with Honors and High Distinction, Wayne State University, Detroit
1984 Bachelor of Mathematics with High Distinction, Wayne State University, Detroit
1984 Health Professions Officer Indoctrination Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1985 School of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks AFB, Texas
1988 Doctor of Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit
1992 Fellowship in Burns and Critical Care Shriner's Burns Institute and University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
1994 Residency in General Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
1995 Fellowship in Surgical Critical Care, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
1996 Fellowship in Comprehensive Burn Care, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
1996 Military Indoctrination of Medical Officers, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1996 Combat Casualty Care Course, Fort Sam Houston, Texas
1997 Medical Management of Chemical and Biological Casualties Course, Lackland AFB, Texas
1997 Medical Red Flag Medical Readiness Training, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2001 Combat Medical Readiness Training, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2006 Air War College, Nonresident Studies Correspondence Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 Air Force Center for Sustainment of Trauma and Readiness Skills, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati
2011 Reserve Component National Security Course, National War College, Washington, D.C.
2012 Joint Operations Medical Managers Course, San Antonio
2016 Interagency Institute Course for Federal Health Care Executives, Uniformed Services University for Health Sciences, Bethesda Md.
2016 Senior Leader Orientation Course, JB Andrews, Md.
2018 LEADS Capstone, Defense Health Agency Headquarters, Washington D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1986 - July 1986, Internal Medicine Clerkship, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB, Texas
2. August 1987 Plastic Surgery Clerkship, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB, Texas
3. August 1996 - August 1999, Staff Surgeon, 59th Medical Wing, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB, Texas
4. September 1996, Manning Assistance - Surgeon, 82nd Medical Group, Sheppard AFB, Texas
5. October 1997 - December 1997, Evaluation and Testing of Chemically Hardened Air Transportable Hospital, Brooks AFB, Texas
6. October 1998 - August 1999, Burn Surgeon and Chief Burn Study Branch, United States Army Institute of Surgical Research, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas
7. September 1999 - June 2000, Individual Mobilization Augmentee General Surgeon, 59th Medical Wing, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB, Texas
8. July 2000 - June 2003, Officer-In Charge Critical Care Air Transport Teams, 932nd Medical Squadron, Scott AFB, Ill.
9. July 2003 - March 2008, Individual Mobilization Augmentee Chief of Professional Services to Surgeon General, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
10. April 2008 - October 2009, Individual Mobilization Augmentee to Commander, 60th Medical Group, David Grant Medical Center, Travis AFB, Calif.
11. November 2009 - August 2012, Commander, 315th Aerospace Medical Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
12. November 2010 - January 2011, CCATT director, 10th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
13. September 2012 - April 2013, Individual Mobilization Augmentee to Assistant Surgeon General of Health Care Operations, Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
14. May 2013 - November 2016, Mobilization Assistant to Command Surgeon, Air Mobility Command and U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
15. November 2016 - present, Mobilization Assistant to Deputy Surgeon General, Office of the Surgeon General, Headquarters Air Force, Falls Church, Va.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Critical Care Air Transport physician
Aircraft Flown: C-21, C-141, C-17
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with three oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Longevity Service Award with three oak leaf clusters
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with silver hourglass and “M” device
Air Force Training Ribbon with oak leaf cluster
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
Academic and Clinical Grand Master, Medical Corps
Air Force Reserve Command Aeromedical Squadron of the Year 2011, 315 AMDS, Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
Air Force Reserve Command Small Dental Clinic of the Year 2011, 315 AMDS, JB Charleston, S.C.
Air Mobility Command Individual Mobilization Augmentee of the Year 2005
Officer of the Year Assigned to a Ground Deployable Medical Unit 2002
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS
2012 - 2015, American Burn Association Program Committee Member
2012 - 2015, Chairman, National Burn Repository Committee
2011 - 2014, American Burn Association Organization and Delivery of Burn Care Committee Member
2006 - present, Fellow, American College of Critical Care Medicine
2006 - present, National Burn Repository Committee Member
2004 - 2011, American Burn Association Government Affairs Committee Member
2003 - present, Academy of Magical Arts
2002 - present, Association of Military Surgeons of the United States
2002 - present, Reserve Officer Association
2000 - present, International Society of Burn Injuries
2000 - 2010, American Burn Association National Leadership Council Member
2000 - present, Society of American Magicians
1999 - present, Fellow, American College of Surgeons
1994 - present, International Brotherhood of Magicians
1994 - present, Society of Critical Care Medicine
1994 - present, American Burn Association
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant March 23, 1984
Captain June 8, 1988
Major March 10, 1995
Lieutenant Colonel Oct. 1, 2002
Colonel April 1, 2007
Brigadier General December 10, 2015
(Current as of April 2018)
Gen. Lentz was commissioned in 1983 and was a recipient of the U.S. Air Force Health Professions Scholarship. He has a diverse military career serving on active duty as well as in the Air Force Reserve as both a traditional reservist and as an individual mobilization augmentee. He was one of the first Critical Care Air Transport Physicians and was instrumental in developing the CCATT Training Course. He was one of the first Air Force Physicians to receive the Academic and Clinical Grand Master special experience identifier. He was also chosen as a Charter Member of the Reserve Medical Corps Force Development Team at the Air Reserve Personnel Center in Denver, Colorado, in 2007 and has been responsible for shaping the future reserve medical corps. He was recently the Commander of the 315th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. His squadron was awarded the Air Force Reserve Command Aerospace Medicine Squadron of the Year and Small Dental Clinic of the Year in 2011.
In his civilian occupation, he is a national burn expert and is the current chairman of the National Burn Repository Committee for the American Burn Association. He was instrumental in developing the mass casualty plan for thermal injury patients in the State of New York. Gen. Lentz was recruited to serve as Medical Director for Burn, Wound and Hyperbaric Medicine at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, which serves a six state area and has one of the country's largest hyperbaric medicine facilities. He is a preeminent national expert in treating burn shock and serves as a consultant for burn shock resuscitation. He provides emergency consultation for altitude and decompression sickness for Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Gen. Lentz has authored more than 100 articles, book chapters and professional abstracts. He is a nationally recognized educator and has been chosen to lead post graduate courses in burn care for both the American Burn Association and the American College of Surgeons.
EDUCATION
1984 Bachelor of Biological Sciences with Honors and High Distinction, Wayne State University, Detroit
1984 Bachelor of Mathematics with High Distinction, Wayne State University, Detroit
1984 Health Professions Officer Indoctrination Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1985 School of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks AFB, Texas
1988 Doctor of Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit
1992 Fellowship in Burns and Critical Care Shriner's Burns Institute and University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
1994 Residency in General Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
1995 Fellowship in Surgical Critical Care, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
1996 Fellowship in Comprehensive Burn Care, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
1996 Military Indoctrination of Medical Officers, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1996 Combat Casualty Care Course, Fort Sam Houston, Texas
1997 Medical Management of Chemical and Biological Casualties Course, Lackland AFB, Texas
1997 Medical Red Flag Medical Readiness Training, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2001 Combat Medical Readiness Training, Sheppard AFB, Texas
2006 Air War College, Nonresident Studies Correspondence Course, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 Air Force Center for Sustainment of Trauma and Readiness Skills, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati
2011 Reserve Component National Security Course, National War College, Washington, D.C.
2012 Joint Operations Medical Managers Course, San Antonio
2016 Interagency Institute Course for Federal Health Care Executives, Uniformed Services University for Health Sciences, Bethesda Md.
2016 Senior Leader Orientation Course, JB Andrews, Md.
2018 LEADS Capstone, Defense Health Agency Headquarters, Washington D.C.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1986 - July 1986, Internal Medicine Clerkship, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB, Texas
2. August 1987 Plastic Surgery Clerkship, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB, Texas
3. August 1996 - August 1999, Staff Surgeon, 59th Medical Wing, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB, Texas
4. September 1996, Manning Assistance - Surgeon, 82nd Medical Group, Sheppard AFB, Texas
5. October 1997 - December 1997, Evaluation and Testing of Chemically Hardened Air Transportable Hospital, Brooks AFB, Texas
6. October 1998 - August 1999, Burn Surgeon and Chief Burn Study Branch, United States Army Institute of Surgical Research, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas
7. September 1999 - June 2000, Individual Mobilization Augmentee General Surgeon, 59th Medical Wing, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB, Texas
8. July 2000 - June 2003, Officer-In Charge Critical Care Air Transport Teams, 932nd Medical Squadron, Scott AFB, Ill.
9. July 2003 - March 2008, Individual Mobilization Augmentee Chief of Professional Services to Surgeon General, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
10. April 2008 - October 2009, Individual Mobilization Augmentee to Commander, 60th Medical Group, David Grant Medical Center, Travis AFB, Calif.
11. November 2009 - August 2012, Commander, 315th Aerospace Medical Squadron, Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
12. November 2010 - January 2011, CCATT director, 10th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
13. September 2012 - April 2013, Individual Mobilization Augmentee to Assistant Surgeon General of Health Care Operations, Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
14. May 2013 - November 2016, Mobilization Assistant to Command Surgeon, Air Mobility Command and U.S. Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill.
15. November 2016 - present, Mobilization Assistant to Deputy Surgeon General, Office of the Surgeon General, Headquarters Air Force, Falls Church, Va.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Critical Care Air Transport physician
Aircraft Flown: C-21, C-141, C-17
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with three oak leaf clusters
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with oak leaf cluster
Air Force Longevity Service Award with three oak leaf clusters
Armed Forces Reserve Medal with silver hourglass and “M” device
Air Force Training Ribbon with oak leaf cluster
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
Academic and Clinical Grand Master, Medical Corps
Air Force Reserve Command Aeromedical Squadron of the Year 2011, 315 AMDS, Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
Air Force Reserve Command Small Dental Clinic of the Year 2011, 315 AMDS, JB Charleston, S.C.
Air Mobility Command Individual Mobilization Augmentee of the Year 2005
Officer of the Year Assigned to a Ground Deployable Medical Unit 2002
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS
2012 - 2015, American Burn Association Program Committee Member
2012 - 2015, Chairman, National Burn Repository Committee
2011 - 2014, American Burn Association Organization and Delivery of Burn Care Committee Member
2006 - present, Fellow, American College of Critical Care Medicine
2006 - present, National Burn Repository Committee Member
2004 - 2011, American Burn Association Government Affairs Committee Member
2003 - present, Academy of Magical Arts
2002 - present, Association of Military Surgeons of the United States
2002 - present, Reserve Officer Association
2000 - present, International Society of Burn Injuries
2000 - 2010, American Burn Association National Leadership Council Member
2000 - present, Society of American Magicians
1999 - present, Fellow, American College of Surgeons
1994 - present, International Brotherhood of Magicians
1994 - present, Society of Critical Care Medicine
1994 - present, American Burn Association
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant March 23, 1984
Captain June 8, 1988
Major March 10, 1995
Lieutenant Colonel Oct. 1, 2002
Colonel April 1, 2007
Brigadier General December 10, 2015
(Current as of April 2018)
