Photo By Ronald Wolf | On July 8, 2022, Deydre S. Teyhen was promoted to brigadier general at a ceremony on...... read more read more
Subscribe
San Antonio, Texas--On July 8, 2022, Deydre S. Teyhen was promoted to brigadier general at a ceremony on Joint Base San Antonio. The ceremony was hosted by Lt. Gen. R. Scott Dingle, U.S. Army Surgeon General and Commanding General, U.S. Army Medical Command.
Dingle called the promotion “an historic day.” He said, “Sometimes in history you get you get these moments that are earth shattering. Deydre Teyhen is going to become the first active duty Specialist Corps general officer.” He called her a “rock star” and noted that the administrative hurdles required for a Specialist Corps officer to receive a star.
Dingle described watching then Col. Teyhen’s excitement, energy, enthusiasm, knowledge, and expertise during a lecture on the Performance Triad. “She was that good,” he said.
Teyhen shared her sincere appreciation for all of the sergeants major to general officers to fellow physical therapists and SP Corps Officers who had invested time to mentor her to help her career.
She especially thanked her family. “I had wonderful parents. I was raised in a wonderful setting.” She quoted Michael J. Fox: “Family is not the important thing; it is everything.”
Lt. Gen. Dingle made this point also. He recognized retired Col. (Retired) John V. Teyhen, Brig. Gen. Teyhen’s spouse, for all the support he provided to furthering her career and her mother, Jane Smyth. Col. Teyhen had his own distinguished military career with 34 years of service. “This is a tremendous example of what a military family is all about,” he said.
Originally from Canton, Ohio, Brig. Gen. Teyhen is one of the best educated — among colleagues who are all highly educated — in Army Medicine. She has her master’s degree in physical therapy, completed her PhD in biomechanics from the University of Texas, and has a doctoral degree in physical therapy from the Baylor University. She also graduated with honors from the U.S. Army War College with a master’s degree in strategic studies.
Brig. Gen. Teyhen is the 20th Chief, U.S. Army Medical Specialist Corps. She applauded actions of Specialist Corps leadership to promote direct access of physical therapists to Soldiers with musculoskeletal injuries — they got out into the regiments providing quicker access to treatment. Faster return to duty for Soldiers is a “completive advantage,” she said. She shared she is standing her today based on the actions of these leaders who promoted direct access, improved how SP Officers cared for Soldiers overall wellness, and prior Army Surgeons General that allowed SP Officers to compete for command.
Among her recent accomplishments, Brig. Gen. Teyhen was the Deputy of Therapeutics for Operation Warp Speed at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Brig. Gen. Teyhen served as the Commander for Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, the Department of Defense’s largest biomedical research facility, where she led infectious disease, brain, and behavioral health research efforts; including research to prevent, detect, and treat COVID-19.
Other previous assignments include Commander, U.S. Army Health Clinic-Schofield Barracks and a long list leadership roles at increasingly important duty stations. She also has played a significant role at the Office of the Surgeon General.
Brig. Gen. Teyhen was officer-in-charge of Task Force 10 Delta Med in Al Kut, Iraq. “When she deployed, she found herself in the position of an OIC. She was bitten by the bug of leadership. She already had the foundation of how to be successful,” Dingle said.
Wherever the mission has sent her, she went and did the job with distinction.
Outside her duties as a Soldier, Brig. Gen. Teyhen and her husband retired Col. John V. Teyhen III have completed a marathon in all 50 states. They were the first military couple to run a marathon in all 50 states and are working toward 100 marathons to include all 7 continents.
Army Medicine thanks her for all of her contributions up to now, knowing the total will be exceeded in the future. She is committed to our Soldiers and our Army and has numerous awards and accommodations including recognition for military, academic, and research excellence.
“There’s an old African proverb that says it takes a village. I’ve had the best village anyone can ask for,” Brig. Gen. Teyhen said. “As King Solomon said, ‘iron sharpens iron and friends sharpen friends’.”
Brig. Gen. Teyhen assumed command of Brooke Army Medical Center, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, in July 2022.
| Date Taken: | 07.25.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 07.29.2022 15:57 |
| Story ID: | 425709 |
| Location: | TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 287 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Hard work leads to excellence: First active duty physical therapist promoted to general officer, by Ronald Wolf, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
