FORT BRAGG, N.C.-- Womack Army Medical Center held its annual Graduate Medical Education and Graduate Dental Education commencement ceremony on Friday, June 5, honoring a new class of Army physicians, dentists, nurses, certified registered nurse anesthetists, pharmacists, optometrists, and social workers who completed training in nationally accredited programs.
The event underscored Womack’s role as a top-tier military medical facility, training providers for service at home and around the world.
Keynote speaker Col. Shaun R. Brown, commander of the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, challenged graduates to embrace their dual identity as Army officers and clinicians. Early in his career, Brown said, a senior leader told him, "You’re an officer first, and a physician second." At the time, it angered him after years of medical training and sacrifice. "Being a surgeon wasn't just what I did, it's who I was," Brown shared. "But through deployments and leadership responsibilities, I realized that leader was entirely right. Being an officer first doesn't make you a lesser clinician. Our dual identity is our greatest strength." Brown detailed his own path. While at Womack from 2017 to 2020, Brown helped establish the hospital’s General Surgery Residency. He noted that the surgical program welcomed the very first class of interns in 2022, and they are in this 2026 graduating class.
Brown warned graduates they are entering service during what is referred to as “Walker Dip.” This represents the critical loss of institutional knowledge and operational readiness during peacetime. "Make no mistake. We're living in the Walker Dip now," Brown said. "The operational environment I experienced over the last decade will look vastly different from the large-scale combat operations you may face." He cited artificial intelligence as an example of rapid change. While some predicted AI would replace radiologists, Brown noted it instead amplified capabilities.
"Technology will not replace the human element of medicine. It will redefine it," Brown said. "In 10 years, the intersection of military strategy and clinical care will look entirely different. You get to define it." Brown told graduates: "You train for the known, but you educate for the unknown. Your training has given you the skills for knowing how to manage a crashing patient, secure an airway, stop bleeding. But the world you're stepping into will demand you adapt to the unknown."
Program directors and commanders recognized graduates from the following specialties: Advanced Education in General Dentistry: Capt. Gino M. An, Maj. Coralie Ayers, Maj. Meredith Clarke, Capt. Spenser Durst, Capt. Ryan Kutz, Lt. Col. Egypt-Rah McAdoo, Maj. Nicolette Pittman and Maj. Chard Wierlo. Endodontics: Maj. Michael Franciscus, Maj. Kendrick Sawyers, Capt. Emily Carroll and Capt. Benjamin Zsembery. Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery: Maj. Julia Lim, Maj. Hung Truong. Family Medicine Residency Program: Capt. Matthew Adair, Capt. Joseph Bell, Capt. Jennell LeBeau, Maj. Kyle Marshall, Capt. Bryson Merrill and Capt. Shane Toph. Gynecologic and Obstetrics Residency Program; Capt. Patrizia Grob, Capt. Megan Allen, and Capt. Karolina Wadolowska. Internal Medicine: Capt. Alp Karaboga, Capt. Ashley Foulkrod and Capt. Ryan McNutt. General Surgery Residency: Capt. Alec Donohue, and Lt. Col. Ilya Latyshenko. U.S. Army Graduate Program in Anesthesia Nursing: Capt. Steven Craig, Capt. Samantha Mazarella and Maj. Brent Turpin. Social Work Internship Program: Capt. Brittany Clegg, Capt. Nataliegh Ryan, Capt. Seonghyun Jeon and 1st Lt. (P) Joy Kruger. Ocular Disease Residency: Capt. Lauren Olmstead. Pharmacy Residency: Capt. Jin Nam Ahn and Capt. Lauren Kaminski. Clinical Nurse Transition Program: 2nd Lt. Angelia Brigman, 2nd Lt. Elizabeth Burke, 2nd Lt. Kelani Chandler, 2nd Lt. Kalen Tussey and 2nd Lt. Ashlee Wong.
WAMC Director of Medical Education and Research Lt. Col. Wendra Galfand delivered closing remarks, reminding graduates of the Army Values: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. "The challenges ahead will be demanding, and they are evolving," Galfand said. "The Army is preparing for a future that may include conflicts requiring us to be ready for complex and diverse medical scenarios in austere environments, and against formidable opponents. Your skills, your resilience, and your commitment to innovation will be crucial in ensuring our Soldiers receive the best possible care."
Brown closed his address with a direct charge: "Graduates, be fiercely proud of your clinical skills. Be equally proud of the uniform you wear. Take care of your Soldiers, take care of your patients, take care of each other. Congratulations to the 2026 class. I cannot wait to see how you shape the future."
To learn more about WAMC programs visit https://health.mil/Education-and-Training/DHA-GME/Institutions/Womack