Leaders

Assistant Surgeon General Force Projection

Brigadier General Richard W. Thomas is an Army physician and serves as the Assistant Surgeon General (Force Projection), Office of The Surgeon General. He most recently served as Commander, Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

BG Thomas earned a Bachelors degree from West Virginia University (WVU). A Distinguished Military Graduate, Brigadier General Thomas was commissioned through the Reserve Officer Training Corps. Upon graduation from the WVU School of Dentistry, he began his career with the Army Medical Department as a Dental Corps officer. Following assignments in Panama and with the 82d Airborne Division, he returned to the WVU School of Medicine. After receiving his medical degree in 1994, he completed an internship at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas and residency in Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery at Madigan Army Medical Center, Fort Lewis, Washington. He is certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery and is a Fellow, American College of Surgeons.

BG Thomas's military education includes the Army War College, the Army Command and General Staff College, the Army Medical Department Officer Advanced and Basic Courses, the Combat Casualty Care Course, the US Army Airborne School, the Air Assault School and the US Army Jumpmaster and Flight Surgeon Courses.

Previous duty assignments include Principal Assistant Deputy (Human Resources), Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower & Reserve Affairs), Pentagon; Commander, 47th Combat Support Hospital, Fort Lewis, Washington; Division Surgeon, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Assistant Chief, Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Madigan Army Medical Center; Commander, 53d Medical Team (Head and Neck), Fort Lewis, Washington; Staff Surgeon, Madigan Army Medical Center, Fort Lewis, Washington; Division Dental Surgeon, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Dental Officer, Fort Clayton, Republic of Panama. Operational deployments include OPERATION Just Cause, OPERATION Enduring Freedom and OPERATION Iraqi Freedom.

BG Thomas's awards, decorations and honors include the Legion of Merit (with two oak leaf clusters), the Bronze Star Medal (with oak leaf cluster), the Meritorious Service Medal (with two oak leaf clusters), the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (with two oak leaf clusters), the Army Achievement Medal (with three oak leaf clusters), the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and various campaign medals. He earned the Army Staff Badge, Combat Medical Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Flight Surgeon Badge and the Expert Field Medical Badge. The Army Surgeon General has bestowed upon him the "A" proficiency designator for expertise in his medical specialty and he has been honored with the Order of Military Medical Merit. BG Thomas is a proud Honorary Member of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club. His professional affiliations include the American College of Surgeons, the American Academy of Otolaryngology and other national and international medical societies. BG Thomas is a previous Consultant to The Surgeon General for Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery.