Orthopedic surgeon Rear Adm. Bruce Gillingham, MD, is retiring as the 39th surgeon general of the U.S. Navy.
During his tenure, Dr. Gillingham led about 44,000 medical personnel through a transformation of the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, the U.S. Navy said in a March 28 news release. He directed the BUMED's 2023 Campaign Order which helped realign Navy Medicine commands.
Dr. Gillingham also led the Navy's COVID-19 response operations which included 190 operational missions and the deployment of more than 5,540 sailors to civilian hospitals, clinics and vaccination support sites.
Dr Gillingham is an orthopedic surgeon with a pediatric subspeciality. He earned his medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md. and completed his residency at Naval Medical Center San Diego.