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Major General Malcolm C . Groh , the

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1st Surgeon General of the US Air Force ,

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charted a course for modern military

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medicine . During World War II as the

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Army Air Force Chief surgeon , Gros

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treated service members injured in air

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combat , witnessing firsthand the

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unique dangers of aerial warfare . Gros

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saw crews suffering frostbite , oxygen

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loss , and severe injuries at high

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altitudes . He worked directly with

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engineers to design heated flight suits

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and armored vests , innovations that

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saved countless lives . His work earned

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him the Legion of Merit in 1943 and the

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Distinguished Service Medal the

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following year . When the US Air Force

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was established in 1947 , Groh

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advocated for a medical structure

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geared to the unique needs of air

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warfare . He wrote , A medicine must be

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built around the mission of air power .

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In 2026 , his legacy lives on at the

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Malcolm Grove Medical Clinics and

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Surgery Center at Joint Base Andrews ,

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Maryland . Here , care is provided to

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service members , families , and

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retirees , featuring an en route

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patient staging facility to quickly

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treat critically injured patients and

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support readiness for the US Air

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Force's global mission . A mission

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built on the foundation Grow created .