May 31, 2024

Col. Patrick T. Birchfield, USA, D.O., M.P.H., MSS, FAOCOPM, FAsMA, is the incoming President of the American Society of Aerospace Medicine Specialists (ASAMS).

He is a native of Chattanooga, TN, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1995. He served as an airborne treatment platoon leader and company executive officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company (later renamed Company D) of the 261st Area Support Medical Battalion at Fort Bragg. Afterwards, he served as the executive officer for the 257th Medical Company (Dental Services). In 2002, he received his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Kansas City University. He completed a transitional internship at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center in 2003, and in 2004 earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He completed his Aerospace Medicine Residency at the Naval Operational Medicine Institute in 2006 and in that same year became board certified in Aerospace Medicine from the American Osteopathic Board of Occupational and Preventive Medicine. In 2014, Dr. Birchfield became a fellow in the American Osteopathic College of Occupational and Preventive Medicine, and has served as Aerospace Division Chair, Treasurer, President-Elect/Program Chair, President, Past-President, and is currently on the Board of Trustees. In May 2018 he was elected a Fellow in the Aerospace Medical Association and serves on the Awards Committee and Tuttle Award Committee of that organization.
   From 2006–2009, Col. Birchfield served as the battalion flight surgeon for the 6-101st Aviation Regiment and also served a year in Afghanistan as the Task Force Shadow flight surgeon stationed at Bagram Air Base. From 2009–2011 he served as the Brigade flight surgeon for the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, where he served as the Task Force Destiny flight surgeon for a year at Kandahar Air Base in Southern Afghanistan. Next, he became an instructor for the Army Medical Department Captains Career Course, Fort Sam Houston, TX. He then served as Chief of Aeromedical Consultation at the U.S. Army Aeromedical Activity, Fort Rucker, AL. He was the Troop Battalion Commander at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, Fort Campbell, KY, from 2015–2017 and served as the Deputy Commander for Clinical Services (Chief Medical Officer) for Fox Army Health Clinic at Redstone Arsenal, AL. After earning a Master of Strategic Studies degree at the U.S. Army War College, he served as Commander of Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, Fort Campbell, KY. Currently, he is the Command Surgeon for the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command.
   Col. Birchfield’s awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal, and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two Campaign Stars. He also holds the Expert Field Medical Badge, the Senior Flight Surgeon Badge, the Army Basic Space Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the Pathfinder Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Naval Flight Surgeon Badge, the Order of Military Medical Merit, the Order of Aeromedical Merit, and the Aviation Order of Saint Michael, Bronze Award.