BIOGRAPHY

COLONEL BENTON P. ZWART

Colonel Benton P. Zwart was the Chief, Clinical Hyperbaric Medicine at Brooks Air Force Base, TX where he worked with a team of other clinicians, nurses, and technical staff providing acute and chronic wound care management to the beneficiary population. Emergency management of carbon monoxide poisoning and decompression sickness punctuates the routine with the activities of urgent care, and serves to sharpen the clinical acumen of a polished physician. A world-wide resource for military flyers and divers, the Davis Hyperbaric Laboratory provides 24-Hour, emergency consultation with fellowship-trained hyperbaricists. Already a recognized expert in aeromedical policy and decision making, Dr. Zwart was well known for his unique combination of credentials.

He entered the Air Force in 1976, two years after graduating summa cum laude as a distinguished military graduate of Lehigh Universitys’ ROTC program. After obtaining his Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering, his first assignment was at Los Angeles Air Force Station developing the Global Positioning System. He received his MD from the University of Connecticut in 1982, and began practice as a flight surgeon at Scott AFB in 1984. After a three-year tour in USAFE, he obtained his Masters in Public Health from Harvard, was Board Certified in Aerospace Medicine in 1992, and Occupational Medicine in 1997. He has served on the Medical IG team, and later spent 2 years as the Chief, Flight Medicine Branch at Armstrong Laboratorys’ Clinical Sciences Division where he directed the clinical and research activities of the USAF Aeromedical Consultation Service. He is a Chief Flight Surgeon with over 1000 flight hours in many aircraft including the RF-4C, F-15, and the C-9. He retired from active duty on 31 December 2002, and now works as a hyperbaric medicine specialist at the San Antonio-based Christus Santa Rosa Wound Care Center, North-West.

EDUCATION:

1974     Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA

1976     Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA

1982     Aerospace Medicine Primary Course, Brooks AFB, TX

1982     Doctor of Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT

1984     Family Practice Residency, Oakwood Hospital, Dearborn, MI

1985     Combat Casualty Care Course, San Antonio, TX

1986     Air Command And Staff College

1990     Master of Public Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA

1991     Aerospace Medicine Practicum Year, USAFSAM/EDK, Brooks AFB, TX

1993     Introduction to Systems Acquisition (SYS-100), Brooks AFB, TX

1998     Clinical Hyperbaric Medicine Fellowship, Brooks AFB, TX

ASSIGNMENTS:

1.     9/70 - 5/74     Reserve Officer Training Corps, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA

2.     1/72 - 5/74     ROTC Scholarship, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA

3.     6/74 - 5/76     Educational Delay, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA

4.     10/76 - 5/78   Chief, Navigation Avionics Software Development Test Branch, SAMSO / YEUI

                               Los Angeles AFS, CA

5.     9/78 - 5/82     Health Professions Scholarship Program, UCONN Medical School, CT

6.     6/84 - 7/86     OIC Flight Medicine, Scott AFB, IL

7.     7/86 - 9/89     Chief, Aerospace Medicine, USAF Clinic, Zweibrucken, GE. (Chief, Clinic Services,

                               15 Mar 88 - 22 Aug 88)

8.     9/89 - 6/90     AFIT/CI, Student at Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA

9.     6/90 - 6/91     USAFSAM/EDK, Resident in Aerospace Medicine, Brooks AFB, TX

10.   6/91 - 9/94     AL/AOCF, Chief, Aeromedical Information Management. Acting Flight Medicine

                               Branch Chief, 6/92 - 8/92. Brooks AFB, TX

11.   9/94 - 7/95     HQ AFIA/SGM, Medical Inspector, Air Force Inspection Agency, Kirtland AFB, NM

12.   8/95 - 6/97     AL/AOCF, Chief, Flight Medicine Branch, Brooks AFB, TX

13.   7/97 - 6/98     Clinical Hyperbaric Medicine Fellow, Brooks AFB, TX

14.   7/98 -12/02    Chief, Clinical Hyperbaric Medicine, Brooks AFB, TX

FLIGHT INFORMATION:

Rating: Chief Flight Surgeon

Flight Hours: More than 1000

Aircraft Flown: MC-130, HC-130, C-119, KC-135, T-38, T-37, UH-1H (Army), C-141, P-3 (Navy), F-4J

(Marines), C-9 Nightingale, C-21, F-15, C-23A Sherpa, RF-4C, C-5A, T-39, T-43

Wings Awarded: Aeronautical Orders published 30 June 1983. Chief Flight Surgeon awarded 6/98

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:

Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters

Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster

Air Force Achievement Medal

Nominated for Julian Ward Award for Achievement During Residency Training

Distinguished Graduate, Residency in Aerospace Medicine

Air Force Overseas Long Tour Ribbon

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:

Appointed To The Faculty of the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine Brooks AFB, TX, 26 Feb 92

Publications: A New Method For Tracking And Analyzing Illness and Morbidity Among Active Duty Air Force Aviators: Journal of Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine August, 1994; Tracking And Analyzing Illness and Morbidity Among Active Duty Air Force Aviators: "Poster Presentation" 1993 AsMA Scientific Convention, 26 May Sheraton Centre Hotel, Toronto, Canada; Letter To The Editor Aviation, Space & Environmental Med, Jan 1992, Vol 63, #1, Pg 87; Moseying Down The Moselle, A Tandem Adventure, Bicycle USA, Oct/Nov 91, Pg 8-10; You're The Flight Surgeon, Aviation, Space & Environmental Med, August 1991, Vol 62, # 8, Pg 800; "Free Fall", Aviat, Space & Env Med, June 1988, Vol 59, # 6, Pg 591; "The Story of Pokey 55", The MAC FLYER, April, 1987 (Flight Safety).

EFFECTIVE DATES OF RANK:

Second Lieutenant    05 Jun 1974                 Major         10 Apr 1986

First Lieutenant         05 Jun 1977                 Lt Col        10 Apr 1992

Captain                      28 May 1980              Col             10 Apr 1998             Honorably Retired from Active Duty 31 Dec 2002

(Current as of 4/07)