School of Aerospace Medicine at Wright-Patt gets new leader

Brig. Gen. James Dienst, 711th Human Performance Wing commander, passes the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine flag to Col. Theresa Goodman in a Change of Command ceremony July 19 to symbolize the change of command. (U.S. Air Force photo/Wesley Farnsworth)

Brig. Gen. James Dienst, 711th Human Performance Wing commander, passes the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine flag to Col. Theresa Goodman in a Change of Command ceremony July 19 to symbolize the change of command. (U.S. Air Force photo/Wesley Farnsworth)

The U.S. Air Force’s School of Aerospace Medicine at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has a new commander.

Col. Theresa Goodman assumed command of the school during a July 19 ceremony in the school’s atrium, according to the base. Goodman comes to Wright-Patt from the 18th Medical Group at Kadena Air Base in Japan, where she took command in 2017.

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Goodman takes over the school after its previous commander, Col. Alden Hilton, retired in June after 29 years of service. He was the deputy commander of the school for about a year before he took the reins as commander in summer of 2016, according to the base.

Brig. Gen. James Dienst, commander of the 711th Human Performance Wing at Wright-Patt, praised Goodman for her experience and expertise.

“What Col. Goodman brings to USAFSAM – it’s the kind of thing you can’t just read about or learn with PowerPoint briefings,” Dienst said in a prepared statement. “You have to be there to understand it, and Goodman has been there. She will help us better translate medical operational requirements, and what we can do to help the warfighter missions.”

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Previously, she was a medical inspector with Headquarters Air Force Inspection Agency at Kirtland Air Force Base, commander of the 20th Aerospace Medicine Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, and chief of aerospace medicine in the 55th Medical Group at Offutt Air Force Base, according to Wright-Patt.

Goodman entered the Air Force in 1995 as a student at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland.

“The ceaseless efforts at USAFSAM to improve how we care for and protect our Airmen, and return them to fight faster and stronger is awe-inspiring…I’m so honored to be a member of USAFSAM. I can’t wait to see what we do next.” Goodman said in a prepared statement.

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