Photo By Staff Sgt. Ivan Mendez-Roman | U.S. Army Capt. William Eisenhart, physician assistant with 1st Battalion, 111th...... read more read more
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FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – For U.S. Army Capt. William Eisenhart, a physician assistant currently deployed to Africa with 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, service has never been about a single uniform or title. It’s about impact.
Born in South Korea, raised in Hagerstown, Maryland, and now living in Alexandria, Virginia, Eisenhart has served across multiple branches of the military. He currently supports Task Force PA as the sole medical provider for the duration of the unit’s deployment to East Africa.
Eisenhart enlisted in the U.S. Navy shortly after the attacks of September 11, 2001. Over the past 23 years, he has worn many hats– explosive ordnance disposal technician, special operations medic, physician assistant and most recently, Task Force medical officer. His military experience includes assignments with Navy EOD Mobile Unit 3, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.
“I left the Navy not thinking I would return to service,” Eisenhart said. “But I wanted to get back into the military and do medicine. I felt that I could make a difference.”
At 43, he was selected for and completed Special Forces Assessment and Selection and the Special Forces Qualification Course. Later, as a Navy Reserve PA, he attended the Special Operations Medical Skills Sustainment Course and the Special Forces Dive Medical Technician Course. He supported joint missions alongside Navy EOD, British Royal Navy divers and FBI Bomb Tech teams as both a dive medical officer and command provider.
Now deployed to Africa, Eisenhart plays a critical role in both direct care and operational planning.
“I’ve served as the East Africa Response Force provider, helped train Djiboutian law enforcement in Tactical Combat Casualty Care and worked with Tanzanian and Nebraska Army National Guard partners to build local medical capacity,” Eisenhart said. “I also supported readiness exercises in Kenya and Somalia and led internal medical training for our Task Force Soldiers.”
One of the most meaningful missions, he said, was in Mogadishu, Somalia, where he was fully embedded in the company’s outer security during a high-risk operation.
“On the mission, I was not an 'enabler'; but part of the wingtip security,” Eisenhart said. “The command saw me as a Soldier on the mission until needed."
When he’s not in uniform, Eisenhart continues his commitment to medicine as an orthopedic surgeon physician assistant at Fort Belvoir’s Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center. He also teaches at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences and George Washington University’s physician assistant program.
He credits his calm and professional demeanor under pressure to lessons learned during his time with Navy EOD in Iraq.
“I was surrounded by incredible leaders,” he said. “We were in Mosul, dealing with IEDs daily. Senior Chief Jon Hamm always said, ‘Go out there like it’s no big deal, like you’ve done it a hundred times.’ That mindset stuck with me.”
Despite receiving his retirement eligibility letter, Eisenhart continues to serve, driven by a desire to give back to the military community.
“I fail more often than I succeed,” he said with humility. “But I keep working every day to be better.”
He emphasizes the importance of servant leadership, both in and out of uniform.
“We are citizen-Soldiers, more than our Active-Duty counterparts, and [our team] works to expand the skills of all of our deployed Soldiers.”
From battlefield trauma care to community mentorship, Eisenhart embodies the spirit of dedication, humility, and excellence—living proof that leadership is a lifelong mission.
| Date Taken: | 06.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.07.2025 14:48 |
| Story ID: | 499955 |
| Location: | FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 77 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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