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