Page 86 - JSOM Fall 2022

West’s historic promotion to be the second black female
JIMMIE KEENAN
major general took place on April 19, 2013. Of her pro­
motion, West said, “I never really thought about that
JIMMIE KEENAN is a retired major gen­ part. My parents taught me to work hard and be the
eral of the US Army. She served as the best I can be and things will work out. I’m just really
Deputy Commanding General of the honored. If anything at all, I hope I can be an inspiration
Medical Command and chief of the to any one or any group that has not seen themselves in
US Army Nurse Corps before retiring certain positions. We all want to see people who look
on January 1, 2016.
like us doing certain things to give us inspiration. Hope­
Keenan entered the US Army as a fully, I can inspire someone to be able to say, ‘I can do
Nurse Corps officer commissioned that.’” She has claimed an early, positive influence was
through Reserve Officer Training Corps at Henderson seeing a black, female character (Uhura) on the bridge
State University. She completed a variety of assignments of Star Trek’s USS Enterprise.
such as nursing at domestic and overseas facilities of West completed her Family Medicine internship and res­
the US Army, and eventually rising to the post of Com­ idency at Martin Army Hospital at Fort Benning (Geor­
mander, Evans Army Community Hospital in Fort Car­ gia). She deployed during Operation Desert Storm and
son, Colorado. She also commanded US Army Public Operation Desert Shield while assigned there. West fin­
Health Command in Aberdeen Proving Ground. Her ished her residency in dermatology at Fitzsimons Army
last assignment, prior to assuming deputy command Medical Center and University of Colorado Medical
of the US Army Medical Command (MEDCOM), was Center. She was chief, Dermatology Service at Heidel­
Commanding General, US Army Southern Regional berg Army Hospital in Germany. West obtained a master
Medical Command.
of science in National Security Strategy. Of her military
Keenan’s awards and decorations include the Army Dis­ medical career, West says, “If you want to feel inspired
tinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious about what military medicine does, see how appreciative
Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Com­ these men and women are for the care they’ve received.
mendation Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, and It’s right here. It’s the reason the military health system
Army Achievement Medal. She has earned the Expert exists: to take care of brave men and women like these.”
Field Medical Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Air As­
sault Badge, and the Army Staff Identification Badge.
Keenan was the General Douglas MacArthur Leader­ ROSLYN “ROZ” SCHULTE
ship Award winner for the Health Services Command
in 1988, a Regional Finalist, White House Fellowship ROSLYN “ROZ” SCHULTE was a US Air
Program in 1992, and an Army Congressional Fellow Force officer killed in action in the US
for FY 2001. She is a member of the Order of Military war in Afghanistan, making her the
Medical Merit and a Fellow in the American College of first female US Air Force Academy
Healthcare Executives. graduate to be killed by enemy
action.
General Keenan is currently the SVP for Clinic Oper­
ations for Wellmed and a 2022 inductee into the San Schulte was assigned to the Pacific
Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame. Air Force 613th Air and Space Operations Center at
Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, and was sent on de­
ployment as an intelligence, surveillance and reconnais­
NADJA WEST sance operations officer. Three months after she arrived
in Afghanistan, she was killed by a roadside bomb near
NADJA WEST is a retired US Army Kabul.
lieutenant general and the 44th Sur­ Schulte was posthumously awarded the National Intel­
geon General of the US Army and for­ ligence Medal for Valor on January 25, 2010, the first
mer Commanding General of the US named female recipient. Her citation noted “her cou­
Army Medical Command. West, a rageous efforts to teach Afghan military officials how
physician, was the first black Army to gather and interpret military intelligence” and said,
Surgeon General and was the first “She died in Afghanistan en route to a Bagram Airfield
black female active­duty major gen­ meeting on the very issue that powers the IC: sharing
eral and the first black female major intelligence.” In addition, she was awarded the Bronze
general in Army Medicine. West is also the first Army Star, Purple Heart, Air Force Commendation Medal,
black female lieutenant general. She is the highest­ Joint Service Achievement Medal, Air Force Combat
ranking woman to have graduated from the US Military Action Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Af­
Academy and was the first women ever to be honored ghanistan Campaign Medal and NATO Medal.
with the West Point Association of Graduates Distin­
guished Graduate Award.

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