Surgeon General of the U.S. Army and Commanding General, U.S. Army Medical Command

LTG Nadja Y. West is the 44th Surgeon General of the United States Army and Commanding General, US Army Medical Command.

LTG West is a graduate of the United States Military Academy with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering. She earned a Doctorate of Medicine Degree from George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, DC.

She completed her internship and residency in Family Medicine at Martin Army Hospital, Fort Benning, GA. During this assignment, she deployed to Operation Desert Shield with the 197th Infantry BDE, 24th ID, and was attached to the 2/69th Armor BN during Desert Storm. She then served at Blanchfield Army Hospital, Fort Campbell, KY as a staff family physician and then Officer in Charge of the Aviation Medicine Clinic. She also participated in a medical mission with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne).

LTG West completed a second residency in dermatology at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center and University of Colorado Medical Center in Denver, CO. She then served as Chief, Dermatology Service at Heidelberg Army Hospital, Germany. LTG West then served as Division Surgeon of the 1st AD, Bad Kreuznach, Germany; deploying to the former Yugoslavian  Republic of Macedonia and Kosovo as Deputy Task Force Surgeon.

LTG West served as Chief, Department of Medicine and Dermatology Service at 121st General Hospital in Seoul, Republic of Korea. LTG West then commanded McDonald Army Community Hospital, Fort Eustis, VA. After command she served as Deputy Commander for Integration at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD. She then served as J-3, Director of Operations, Joint Task Force National Capital Regional Medical. Next, she commanded Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg and went on to serve as Commanding General, Europe Regional Medical Command.

LTG West served as Deputy Chief of Staff, G1/4/6, Office of the Surgeon General, Falls Church, VA. Her most recent assignment was Joint Staff Surgeon at the Pentagon. As Joint Staff Surgeon she served as chief medical advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and coordinated all Health Services issues related to include operational medicine, force health protection, and readiness within the US military.

LTG West completed the Army Medical Department Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, and also graduated from the Army Command and General Staff College and the National War College.

Her awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, NATO Medal, Combat Medical Badge, Flight Surgeon Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and Gold German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge. She is a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit, Order of Saint Christopher, a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Academy of Family Practice.