Serving Country and Profession

You can use either Dr. or CAPT. Of note: In the United States, a Navy Captain is abbreviated as CAPT (equivalent to a Colonel) while an Army or Air Force Captain is abbreviated as Capt. and is a lower rank.

That’s fine with me!

My father was an Army Communications Officer in Vietnam and later transitioned into the National Guard, so I was exposed to military life during my childhood and respected my father’s service. I joined the Army during the summer before my senior year in high school in the delayed-entry program and then went to boot camp after graduation.

I chose to be a combat medic primarily because it was close to home, Westerville, Ohio, at the 684th Medical Company. Little did I realize that it would steer me away from my planned major in college from business to pre-optometry. During my training I became a certified Emergency Medical Technician and was practicing lifesaving measures in combat conditions in the field. This experience really shifted my outlook towards a medical profession. Then I met Army COL Dan Runyan (OD’69) who was an optometrist in the National Guard. He trained me on basic optometric functions while we were on field exercises in Michigan. 

He really took me under his wing and became a life-long mentor. 

As you well know, Athens is a great college town with a beautiful campus. Not sure if you remember, but I was fortunate to have been able to shadow you and your wife at your practice there when I was considering optometry as a career. 

OSU Optometry had a stellar reputation and came highly recommended by you, COL Runyan, and my personal optometrist Randy McLaughlin (OD’84), who fit me with GP contact lenses. Ohio State was my first choice, so I was disappointed when I didn’t get accepted right away like I did at several other schools. I was on the waitlist and remember calling the Admissions Office on a weekly basis to see if a spot had opened up. In the meantime, I accepted a seat at Indiana University, signed a lease for an apartment, and was preparing to move when I got the call from Ohio State. I consider myself very lucky to be an Ohio State alum!

After my first year of optometry school, I received the Navy Health Professions Scholarship, which funded my next three years of school. So, after graduation, I headed off to Officer Indoctrination School in Newport, RI to learn how to be a Naval Officer. I then reported to Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, NC for my first tour of duty.

My initial plans were to pay back my three-year commitment, get out of the Navy, and go into private practice. But I got a phone call one day asking me if I would fill a vacancy in Sicily as the only eye care provider on the American base. This was the first “yes” of many that I would give that has determined my career path. 

Un pocu. That’s Sicilian for “a little.” I chose to live about 45 minutes away from the military base in a small fishing village on the Ionian Sea. Very few locals spoke English, so I took an immersive class at the University of Catania and quickly learned the language and made some great Sicilian friendships. Unfortunately, I’ve lost most of my language skills over time. During my overseas tour, I had the opportunity to visit 21 countries in Europe and Northern Africa.

I wanted to pursue a residency after graduation, but at the time, that was not an option with the Navy. However, after Italy, I was given the opportunity to apply for one, so I said “yes” again instead of getting out of the Navy. My payback tour after the residency was an isolated duty at Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, AZ, where I was able to complete my MBA specializing in Health Care Management. As a Medical Service Corps Officer, this master’s degree has been beneficial in several of my healthcare administrative and leadership roles. The military emphasizes jointness, or working well as a team, with the other services and knowing each other’s capabilities, especially in combat operations; so, I chose the Air Force’s Command & Staff College to earn my Joint Professional Military Education certificate.

Yes, moving around the country so much has afforded me the opportunity to work with many of the schools’ externship programs. I enjoy teaching and mentoring students, and I think it’s great for them to gain experience working in military clinics and hospitals. I’m always trying to recruit exceptional students into Navy Optometry!

Actually, I was encouraged to go into flight training by two of my Ohio State friends and Navy colleagues, CAPT(ret) Tyson Brunstetter (OD/MS’97, PhD’00) and CAPT Rick Zeber (OD’98) and followed in their footsteps. The Navy is the only service that sends their aviation doctors through flight school alongside the student pilots. We go through an abbreviated syllabus on both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft and, unfortunately, stop short of flying solo. The six months of training also includes instruction on aeromedical aspects of human physiology and provides guidance to aviators on the effects of flight on the visual system. The intention is to improve safety by preventing human factor mishaps. I’ve since flown in nine different types of Naval aircraft.

I underwent flight training and earned my “wings of gold” as the 16th Naval Aerospace Optometrist and then established the first aerospace optometrist billet at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, FL.

Most memorable is being at the controls of an F-5 Tiger II supersonic jet fighter and on one of the last flights of the S-3 Viking anti-submarine jet before it was decommissioned.

It was!

In 2010 I was appointed Officer-in-Charge of one of the Navy’s largest medical clinics and two dental clinics. It was at that point that I could no longer continue to see patients full time. As one rises through the military ranks, it tends to become more executive-focused. Although I’m primarily “flying a desk” now, I enjoy seeing patients as often as I can and make it a point to stay engaged clinically in order to sustain my skills and maintain my hospital privileges. 

This was one of the highlights of my career, to be able to represent optometry at the highest level in the Navy. My task was to help shape Navy Optometry by ensuring high standards of professional practice, advising on new evidence-based research and clinical guidelines, advocating for specialty-specific concerns, recommending policy changes, and defining training requirements. Most importantly, I was able to mentor optometrists on their career goals and pathways, promotion and training opportunities, and location assignments. I also oversaw the board that selected optometry students for the Health Professions Scholarship Program. I can attest that Ohio State students were always top-caliber based on their applications, as well as their knowledge and skills upon graduation.

In my view, the positions that I’ve been selected for are the true honors, more so than any award. In my current position as Chief of the DoD/VA Vision Center of Excellence, I oversee a joint program that leads and advocates for programs and research initiatives to improve vision health, optimize military readiness, and enhance the quality of life of service members and veterans. We do this by providing clinical, educational, policy, data, and research support to the DoD and VA Ophthalmology & Optometry communities. I’ve also recently been selected to be the Optometry Consultant for the Defense Health Agency (DHA). In this role, I advise on all optometry-related matters to the DHA which controls over 700 military medical facilities worldwide, with a workforce of 130,000, responsible for the healthcare of 9.5 million service members, retirees, and family members.

Most of my time revolves around my two boys (10 & 15) and all their activities (wrestling, Boy Scouts, band, church). My wife just recently retired from the Navy (as a Clinical Psychologist), so she now has more time to haul them around.

Running. That’s my “me time” and chance to escape, clear my mind, and refocus.

I think back now and realize how fortunate I was to have such a premier teaching faculty including Dean John Schoessler (BS’65, OD’66, MS’68, PhD’71), Greg Good (OD’75, MS’79, PhD’81), Bob Newcomb (OD’71, MPH), and Michael Polasky (OD’69) who each made a real impact on me. 

I will say that OSU Optometry is well respected across the country and has opened many doors for me. I’m grateful and proud to be a BuckEYE!