Program Committee
Chair: Captain Matthew J. Bradley, MD, FACS, ESS President
Co-Chair: Bryan Gamble, MD, FACS, ESS Vice-President
Executive Council Member: Executive Council
The Program Committee has continued the tradition of monthly ESS webinars while planning for a phenomenal 2026 ESS Symposium. This year, the new ESS Global Surgery Committee, chaired by Captain Tamara Worlton and co-chaired by Major Carl Beyer, was added. In May, they held their inaugural webinar, “Surgeons as Stewards of Military Global Health Engagement,” delivered by Captain Joseph Aryankalaylil.
Other notable webinars included the popular Program Director Meet-and-Greet for medical students and a low-volume resuscitation discussion by Martin Mangino, PhD, a professor of surgery and physiology at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. The remainder of the webinar series includes discussions from the ESS Membership Committee and the “What You Need to Know for Deployment” webinar for our graduating chief residents and young surgeons. We also look forward to building on the outreach to our medical student and resident members by developing a podcast specifically for them.
In October 2025, we successfully built upon the foundations of our previous symposia. The 2025 Symposium was a landmark event, and we once again proudly hosted the Committee on Trauma Region 13 Paper Competition showcasing exceptional military surgical research. Colonel (Retired) Warren Dorlac, MD, FACS, USAF, masterfully delivered the inaugural “Lest We Forget” lecture, setting a powerful new tradition for ESS. In addition, the Mentorship Committee launched a highly successful luncheon event during the symposium, enhancing mentorship of our younger society members.
This year’s symposium theme is “Bridging the Readiness Gap: Integrating Trauma, EGS, and Critical Care for Every Military Surgeon.” Colonel (Retired) Donald Jenkins, MD, FACS, USAF, will deliver the 2026 Churchill lecture, and Colonel (Retired) Craig Shriver, MD, FACS, USA, will give the Pryor lecture. We will have an excellent afternoon panel session on surgical readiness, “The Tyranny of Distance: Surgical Readiness in Distributed Maritime Operations,” and new this year is an additional session highlighting resident and student research.
In September, the Executive Council will present the state of the ESS in a working business meeting format. During this session, we will review proposed bylaw amendments and lay the groundwork for final voting on key organizational business items, which will take place during the morning of the ESS Symposium in Washington, DC.
Your voice matters as we shape the future of the House of Military Surgery. If you have any business items or governance feedback, contact excelsior@facs.org.
Membership Committee
Chair: Joshua Dilday, DO
Co-Chair: Major Jeffrey Conner, MD, FACS
Executive Council Member: Lieutenant Colonel Jennifer Sabino, MD, FACS
The ESS Membership Committee continues to see strong organizational growth and engagement in 2026. Total membership has increased to 696 members, up from 648 in 2025, with continued growth among both dues-paying and dues-exempt members. Fellows remain the core of the organization, representing 67.7% of membership, while residents and students now make up 27.6% of ESS, reflecting important momentum in early-career recruitment and long-term organizational sustainability. The committee also continued its tradition of recognizing members through the distribution of membership certificates. This year, 68 certificates were mailed to ESS members, reinforcing professional belonging and connection to the ESS.
A major highlight of the year was the June 2026 webinar, “Military-Civilian Partnerships: Not Just for Trauma Surgery,” featuring Colonel Ryan Earnest, MD, FACS, MC, USAF, and Colonel Justin Fox, MD, FACS, MHS, CPE. The webinar emphasized the value of military-civilian partnerships in supporting the professional development, operational readiness, and career growth of military surgeons across a broad range of practice environments.
Overall, the Membership Committee remains focused on supporting ESS members, strengthening engagement across all career stages, and ensuring the continued growth and vitality of the organization.
Mentorship Committee
Chair: Lieutenant Colonel Robert Krell, MD, FACS
Co-Chair: Major Connor Chick, MD, FACS
Executive Council Member: Colonel (Retired) Jeffrey A. Bailey, MD, FACS
It has been another unique and highly impactful year for the Mentorship Committee as we continue to advance our core mission.
A major highlight was the debut of the inaugural ESS Mentorship Committee breakout sessions at the ESS Symposium. Despite a government shutdown impacting attendance, the sessions were overwhelmingly well-received and sparked fantastic engagement. Alongside continuing the annual tradition of welcoming and congratulating graduating chief residents into the military surgical community, we are actively driving several new initiatives focused on junior residents. These include a comprehensive surgical preliminary resident welcome and survival guide—currently in the needs-analysis phase—as well as developing a dedicated military surgical community mentorship podcast and webinar series.
In addition, we are continuing to gather inspiring mentorship stories from across the career spectrum to compile into an upcoming magazine feature. We are incredibly proud of this momentum and look forward to expanding these effort lines in the months ahead.
Outreach Committee
Chair: Commander Michelle Roper, MD, FACS
The Outreach Committee expanded ESS engagement with the next generation of military surgeons through targeted outreach to military general surgery residency program directors and Uniformed Services University and Health Professions Scholarship Program leadership. These communications encouraged military residents and medical students to join both the ACS and the ESS by providing step-by-step guidance on the application process and highlighting the professional, educational, and mentorship opportunities available through ESS.
Research Committee
Chair: Commander Matthew Nealeigh, DO, MHPE, FACS
Co-Chair: Major Patrick Walker, MD, FACS
Executive Council Member: Colonel Mary Steuver, MD, FACS
The Research Committee remains deeply committed to highlighting military-relevant surgical research, providing a vibrant forum for the discussion and dissemination of new knowledge uniquely focused on the realities of military surgical practice. We kicked off major seasonal activities in October 2025 by hosting the Military Research session at the ACS Clinical Congress. The session brought together excellent minds from across our community and centered on vital operational challenges, specifically focusing on advanced far-forward hemorrhage control, combat casualty resuscitation strategies, and prolonged field care innovations that remain critical to our deployed teams.
The monthly webinar series also provided a fantastic space to stay connected with colleagues and showcase impactful work. In December 2025, we hosted a webinar highlighting exceptional military entries from the 2025 ACS History of Surgery Poster Competition. It was a privilege to feature three brilliant papers from our rising generation of military medical professionals:
- Bulkheads on Battlefields: US Navy Medical Units Aboard Landing Ship, Tanks at Normandy, presented by ENS Maxime A. Visa, MC, USNR (The Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University). See the April 2026 ACS Bulletin article, “FOXY-29 Delivers Forward Surgical Innovation on Shores of Normandy.”
- The Alchemy of Flesh and Fortitude: Sir Archibald McIndoe’s Crucible of Burn Care in WWII’s Fiery Sky, presented by 2LT Jonathan Hawkins, MC, USA (Baptist University College of Osteopathic Medicine)
- Coping with Crisis: The Resilience of Dr. Mary Crawford in the Face of Wartime Challenges, presented by Saffanat Sumra (University of California–San Francisco)
Following the showcase, the March 2026 webinar featured Martin Mangino, PhD, a professor of surgery and physiology at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. Dr. Mangino spoke on the incredibly relevant topic of "A New Paradigm for Low Volume Resuscitation in Severe Hemorrhagic Shock," beautifully showcasing the exact type of cutting-edge translational research seeking to save lives directly on the battlefield.
Looking ahead, the momentum continues to build as we prepare to connect in person. The committee eagerly looks forward to hosting the Military session at the upcoming ACS Clinical Congress in Washington, DC, this September. We hope to see many of our close colleagues and friends to continue these crucial discussions, share our collective expertise, and further advance our shared mission in the House of Military Surgery.
