Lt. Gen. Douglas John Robb, USAF (Ret.), D.O.
Lt. Gen. Douglas J. Robb, USAF (Ret.) retired from the Air Force Jan. 1, 2016 as the Director, Defense Health Agency (DHA), Defense Health Headquarters, Falls Church, VA. He led a joint, integrated Combat Support Agency enabling the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps medical services to provide a medically ready force and ready medical force to Combatant Commands in both peacetime and wartime.
General Robb entered the Air Force in June 1979 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He received a medical degree (1984) from Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, IL, and completed a residency/board certification in Aerospace Medicine (1994). He holds a master’s degree (1992) in public health from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, and a master’s degree (2000) in strategic studies from the National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C. He is a fellow in the Aerospace Medical Association and an honorary fellow in the American Osteopathic College of Occupational and Preventive Medicine.
General Robb spent his early career in the practice of aerospace medicine in support of Air Force, joint, and coalition aviation forces. Clinically, he has held the positions of chief of flight medicine, aerospace medicine squadron commander and hospital and medical center commander. Additionally, he has held staff positions as the chief flight surgeon for U.S. Air Forces in Europe; Command Surgeon, U.S. Central Command; Command Surgeon, Air Mobility Command; and Joint Staff Surgeon and Senior Medical Advisor to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; Deputy Director, TRICARE Management Activity; and most recently, Director, Defense Health Agency. He is currently the Medical Chair, National Defense University and clinical professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics at the Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD.
Education
Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO, Bachelor of Science biological sciences, 1975-1979
Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Chicago, IL, Doctor of Osteopathy, 1980-1984
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, Master of Public Health, 1991-1992
USAF School Aerospace Medicine, San Antonio, TX, Aerospace Medicine Residency, 1992-94
National War College, D.C., Master of Science in national security strategy, 1999-2000
Training
Basic Airborne Course, U.S. Army Airborne School, Ft Benning, GA, 1976
Flight Surgeon Primary Course, USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, TX, 1984
Hyperbaric Training for Healthcare Officers, USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, TX, 1992
Aircraft Mishap Investigation & Prevention, USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, TX, 1993
Air Assault Course, U.S. Army Air Assault School, Ft. Rucker, AL, 1993
Medical Executive Skills Capstone, Washington, D.C., 2002
Interagency Institute for Federal Health Care Executives, GW University, D.C. 2003
Board Certification
Diplomate of American Board of Preventive Medicine - Specialty in Aerospace Medicine
Medical Licensure
Maryland
Professional Experience
Aircraft Maintenance Officer, 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron, MacDill AFB, FL, 1979-1980
Flight Surgeon/Chief Physical Exams, 429th Fighter Squadron, Nellis AFB, NV, 1985-87
Flight Surgeon/Chief Flight Medicine, 19th Tac Air Squadron, Osan Air Base, Korea, 1987-88
Flight Surgeon/Chief Flight Medicine, 526th Fighter Sq, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, 1988-91
Commander, 347th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Moody AFB, GA, 1994-1997
Commander, 4404th Medical Group, Saudi Arabia, Southwest Asia, 1996
Chief, Aerospace Medicine, HQ US Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein AB, Germany, 1997-1999
Commander, 59th Aeromedical-Dental Group, Lackland AFB, Texas, 2000-2002
Commander, 10th Medical Group, Air Force Academy, CO, 2002-2004
Command Surgeon, U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, FL, 2004-2007
Commander, Keesler Medical Center/81st Medical Group, Keesler AFB, MS, 2007-2008
Command Surgeon, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, IL, 2008-2010
Joint Staff Surgeon, Office of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pentagon, 2010-2013
Joint Staff Surgeon, Office of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pentagon, 2010-2013
Director, Defense Health Agency, Defense Health Headquarters, Falls Church, VA, 2013-2015
Scholar-in-Residence, Uniformed Services Univ. of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, 2016-present
Summary Of Inter-Department/Agency Task Force Leadership
Co-Chair Task Force: Military Health System Governance Reform Task Force;
appointed by Deputy Secretary of Defense, 2011-2013
Co-Chair Working Group: Warrior Care and Coordination Task Force;
appointed by Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness: 2013-2014
Co-Chair Committee: Defense Advisory Comm. on Tobacco;
appointed by Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness; 2014-2015
Academic Positions
Medical Chair, National Defense University, Washington DC, 2018-present
Clinical Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics, Health Services
Administrative Division, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, 2016-present
Member, Board of Advisors, Center for Health Services Research, Uniformed Services University,
Bethesda, MD, 2021-present
External Advisory Board Chair, Consortium for Health and Military Performance,
Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, 2020-present
Air University Air Force Surgeon General’s Visiting Scholar Program, 2019-2021
Chair, Human Anatomical Materials Review Cmte., Uniformed Services Univ., MD, 2017-present
Scholar-in-Residence, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, 2016-18
Recognition Awards
American College of Surgeons Distinguished Contribution 2015 for Joint Trauma System
American College of Surgeons Distinguished Contribution 2015 for Joint Trauma System
Honorary Member of US Army Medical Department Regiment
Outstanding Achievement Award/President’s Citation, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine
Student Council President, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine
Distinguished Alumni, Tampa Jesuit High School
Professional Memberships And Associations
Fellow, Aerospace Medical Association
Honorary Fellow, American Osteopathic College of Occupational and Preventive Medicine
Association of Military Surgeons of the United States (past Board Member)
Aerospace Medical Association
Society of Air Force Flight Surgeons (past President)
American Osteopathic Association
Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians & Surgeons (Board Trustee)
Midwestern University CCOM Alumni Board of Governors
Air Force Association