Page 2 - PA Week - Senior PA Bio Sketches

First Physician Assistant Selected as the Army Medical Specialist
Corps Chief: The Story of COL John Balser

“There are no victories at bargain prices.” -Dwight David Eisenhower

COL John Balser, 19th SP Corps Chief and JFHQ-NCR Surgeon, Fort McNair, DC

Colonel John Balser was include: Staff PA, Resident Command, General Staff
born in New York and raised Trainer, Mississippi National College, and the Army War
in Alabama and Virginia. He Guard, Deputy Division Sur- College.
joined the Army on 10 July geon, 3d Infantry Division,
1981 but attended Basic Career Manager/ His awards and decorations
include the Bronze Star
training 11 September Assignments Officer, Human
1981, at Fort Knox, Ken- Resources Command, Staff Medal (2 OLC), the Meritori-
tucky. After graduating from Officer Forces Command ous Service Medal (9 OLC),
91B Combat Medic training Surgeon’s Office, Staff Of- Army Commendation Medal
in January 1982, he went ficer, Medical Command, (4 OLC), Army Achievement
on to train as a Hospital Commander, 240th Forward Medal (3 OLC), National
Corpsman 91C. After sever- Surgical Team, PA Consult- Defense Service Medal,
al assignments including ant/ Deputy Branch Chief, Armed Forces Reserve Med-
serving as a combat medic Deputy Director Health Ser- al, Global War on Terrorism
with the 172nd Infantry Bri- vices Directorate, Office of Medal, Presidential Unit
gade in Alaska, COL Balser The Surgeon General, Spe- Citation, Valorous Unit
was selected to attend the cialist Corps Branch Chief, Award, Meritorious Unit
Army Physician Assistant Human Resources Com- Award, Superior Unit Award,
(PA) Program, Fort Sam mand, Deputy Commander Good Conduct Medal, Hu-
Houston, TX in 1988. Upon for Operations, Craig Joint manitarian Service Medal,
completion of Phase 1 and Theater Hospital, Bagram the Order of Military Medical
the Warrant Officer Candi- Airbase, Afghanistan, Com- Merit, and the Surgeon Gen-
date Course he was promot- mand Surgeon, Army Re- eral’s “9A” Proficiency des-
ed to Warrant Officer 1. In serve, and recently Special- ignator.
March 1990 he graduated ist Corps Chief. COL Balser and his wife Lor-
Phase 2 and served as a PA na have one son, and one
in Germany including a de- He was the first PA to com- daughter
ployment with the 2nd Ar- mand a Forward Surgical
mored Cavalry Regiment in Team and deployed this
support of Operation Desert team to Afghanistan,. He
Shield/Storm. While serving also was the first to take the
at the rank of Chief Warrant oath of acceptance as the
Officer 2, the Army transi- PA Consultant in a combat
tioned PA warrant officers to zone. He recently became
commissioned officers and the first PA to be selected
he was promoted to lieuten- as Corps Chief and is cur-
ant on February 4, 1992.In rently serving as the 19th
1996, he was selected for Army Medical Specialist
Orthopaedic Surgery spe- Corps Chief.
cialty training at Brooke Ar- COL Balser holds a Bachelor
my Medical Center, Fort of Science Degree, and a
Sam Houston, TX. Masters of Clinical Sciences
and a Masters of Strategic
As a PA he has worked in a
variety of assignments to Studies. He is a graduate of
the Army PA Program and