DES MOINES, Iowa – An Iowa State University student from Hubbard is one of more than 100 health care professionals who will take the oath of office to become a medical officer in the U.S. Army during a live, virtual commissioning ceremony May 20 at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
Caitlin Knutson recently completed her first year at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine where she serves as class president, and she will enter the Army as a second lieutenant.
“Two of my greatest passions in life are animals and agriculture, and our family farm provided many opportunities to work with animals, grow crops, and provide community service,” wrote Caitlin Knutson in a statement of motivation. “My love for animals and agriculture has been matched only by my desire to serve my country in the U.S. Army, as two of my brothers graduated from the Air Force Academy, my family desire to serve runs deep. Their example of military service inspires me to follow their lead by commissioning as an officer in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps.”
“The U.S. Army Medical Department is an excellent choice for anyone driven by the desire to care for others as they serve their country,” said the Army’s Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Scott Dingle, who will host the nationwide virtual ceremony. “Caring for others as leaders in the health care field is our primary mission. Our job is to be ready to answer the call and to conserve the fighting strength.”
An example of answering the call is the United States Army’s current response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Army deployed thousands of health care professionals and support personnel to establish expeditionary hospital facilities and staff civilian hospitals in locations with the greatest need,” he said. “We will deliver life-saving care, when needed at home or abroad.”
As part of the whole-of-nation approach to fighting COVID-19, Army medical units have mobilized across the country and Army researchers have joined forces to find breakthroughs in treatments and vaccines. Army hospital staffs can provide routine and emergency medical support to community medical staffs, allowing them to focus their resources and efforts on detecting and treating patients believed to have been exposed to COVID-19.
More than 2,000 health care professionals commissioned into the Army last year in more than 50 different specialties of physicians, dentists, nurses, veterinarians and other providers. They joined a team of nearly 100,000 Army health care professionals serving around the world. These Soldiers provide sustained health services and research to enable readiness and conserve the fighting strength while caring for our Army Soldiers and families.
The ceremony will stream live on the U.S. Army Recruiting Command’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/USAREC.
For more information on Knutson or the virtual commissioning ceremony, please contact Leanne Thomas at 210-243-8864 or leanne.o.thomas.civ@mail.mil.
| Date Taken: | 05.19.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 05.28.2020 18:12 |
| Story ID: | 370956 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 77 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Army surgeon general to swear-in local veterinarian student, Caitlin Knutson, by Leanne Thomas, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
