Dear Members of the Excelsior Surgical Society, friends, and colleagues,
It is a distinct honor and privilege to serve as the 10th President of the Excelsior Surgical Society. Since our organization’s official re-establishment in 2014, we have achieved a great deal in a relatively brief timeframe. I recognize the high standards set by my predecessors, and I am especially grateful to have worked with such an outstanding past-president, CAPT Matthew Tadlock.
The Excelsior Surgical Society, the largest organization of military surgeons, exists to improve military medicine for future generations through education, research, and fellowship. While we have made great strides in supporting educational and skill sustainment opportunities, we must strive to be better. Our primary goal is to ensure every generation is prepared to care for combat casualties.
Most of the Society’s membership is not trauma and critical care subspecialty trained, yet we all must be constantly ready to care for combat casualties and ready to adapt and lead in austere environments. This requires maintaining combat trauma knowledge and skills in addition to continuing our daily practices.
This is a unique mission, and we must embrace it. We were called for this, and our country will continue to rely on us to accomplish this mission. The time is now to ensure we are prepared. The current military surgical environment demands it.
Together with Vice-President LTC Bryan Gamble, the Executive Council, and the Committees’ leadership, I aim to develop new relevant educational content and additional ways to foster collaboration, mentorship, and fellowship. Our first webinar covered the history of military surgery—a topic highly relevant to our Society and its foundational principles of sharing lessons learned. Moving forward, we aim to broaden our educational activities, such as expanded webinars featuring case discussions and the option to earn CME credit. We are also working to grow our membership through outreach to Program Directors and Service Chiefs. The Society will continue to serve as an advocate for clinical experience opportunities for non-trauma subspecialty-trained surgeons, whether at military treatment facilities or partnered civilian institutions.
This Society does not exist without you. I urge you to get involved. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly or via excelsior@facs.org with your ideas and feedback.
I look forward to seeing you in our nation's capital in September 2026.
Very Respectfully,
Matthew Bradley, MD, FACS
CAPT, MC, USN
President, Excelsior Surgical Society
