Page 138 - JSOM Winter 2022

SALUTING EXCELLENCE In 1985, LTG Becker was selected for his 3rd Star, and ap-
pointed as the 36th Army Surgeon General. As the Surgeon
COL Chris Van Fosson was selected for the AMEDD 9A Pro- General, he oversaw the Army’s complex healthcare system
ficiency Designator. This is the highest recognition for profes- worldwide. Working directly for the Army Chief of Staff, he
sional excellence in the Army Medical Department. Candidates was also responsible for the medical readiness of the force to
nominated for the honor must be eminently qualified to chair support wartime and deployment missions. Some of his ini-
a department, division or service, or have attained full pro- tiatives included establishing the Enlisted Advisory Council.
fessional status and national prominence in their field. All LTG Becker became the first commander of the Army Medical
AMEDD active Army, National Guard, and US Army Reserve Department (AMEDD) Regiment. As one of the key founders
are eligible to apply. Congratulations! of the regiment, the AMEDD Regiment organization exists to-
day to instill pride and heritage to the many medical personnel
CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE OF that served.
LTG QUINN HENDERSON BECKER
Even after retiring from the Army in 1988, LTG Becker’s leg-
Lieutenant General Quinn H. Becker (Retired), acy of medical readiness was realized during Operation Desert
91, passed away on 13 March 2022, at his Shield and Desert Storm. During this Gulf War, the field med-
home in San Antonio, Texas. Quinn attended icine work orchestrated by LTG Becker during the 1970s and
Northeast Louisiana State College in Monroe, 80s was instrumental in providing health service support to
where he met and married his beautiful wife the deployed force. Following the war, retired LTG Becker, was
Gladys Marie Roussell. Quinn graduated from personally called and thanked by Desert Storm Commander,
college in 1952, as a Distinguished Military General Norman Swartzkopf, for emphasizing medical read-
Graduate. He was initially commissioned a Regular Army 2LT iness while on active duty. LTG Becker responded to General
in the Military Police but deferred from active duty to attend Swartzkopf, “Sir, it was a great team effort”.
Louisiana State University Medical School in New Orleans as
the Army had a shortage of doctors. Quinn graduated from LTG Becker, throughout his career, was known as a ‘field doc-
LSU Medical School in 1956 and then completed his intern- tor” and for emphasizing “medical readiness” of the force, his
ship at Tripler Army Hospital in Hawaii, followed by an Army legacy to the Army. He accomplished things throughout his
sponsored orthopedic residency at Confederate Memorial entire life by building teams and creating personal bonds and
Hospital, Shreveport, Louisiana. relationships. He was respected because of his humility, sincer-
ity, and kindness.
After completing the US Army War College in 1975, LTG
Becker and his family moved to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Colonel (Ret.) Jim Van Stratten said on the occasion of the
where he served as the XVIII Airborne Corps Surgeon and Celebration of the Life of LTG Becker: “He was a very kind
concurrently commander of the Fort Bragg Medical Activity man. He loved people and they loved him in return. He never
(Hospital). Not only was LTG Becker responsible for provid- met a stranger. Enlisted men and women loved him, as did
ing healthcare for Soldiers, family members, and retirees at noncommissioned officers, officers, and warrant officers. He
Fort Bragg, but he also supervised medical readiness of the had a ready smile and a kind word for everyone, military and
XVIII Airborne Corps. civilian alike. He was a people person with a big heart. His
human kindness provided a model for all of us. He will be
Upon being selected for Brigadier General, he worked for the greatly missed.”
Army Surgeon General in the Pentagon as the Director of
Health Care Operations. In this senior leadership position, A complete obituary is available at https://www.porterloring.
he worked on battlefield medicine readiness including fund- com/obituaries/Quinn-H-Becker-MD?obId=24314934
ing, designing, and obtaining Deployable Medical Systems
( DEPMEDS), upgrading medical evacuation helicopters, and NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE
coordinating health service support for Airland Battle.
ARCTIC REGION OCTOBER 2022
Selected for his next command and his second star in 1980, Recognizing the challenges presented by
LTG Becker commanded the Academy of Health Sciences at Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the increased
Fort Sam Houston. Additionally, he was also responsible for interests of The People’s Republic of China,
developing doctrine for field medical units. He was instrumen- and the growing accessibility of the Arctic
tal in starting the Combat Casualty Care Course.
due to climate change, this executive sum-
In 1983, during the Cold War period, LTG Becker was called mary states: “Realizing our vision of a peaceful, stable, pros-
to lead the 7th Medical Command in Europe, consisting of 11 perous, and cooperative Arctic during this dynamic and
large hospitals, 67 health and dental clinics, a Europe-wide challenging period will require U.S. leadership at home and
aeromedical evacuation unit, and a plethora of other medical abroad. We will advance U.S. interests across four mutually
support services. Besides commanding a large and complex reinforcing pillars spanning both domestic and international
healthcare system for deployed military and their families, he issues. Many of the investments we undertake in the U.S. Arc-
concurrently served as the United States Army Europe Surgeon tic will benefit not only residents in Alaska, but also our ability
and the United States European Command Surgeon. to pursue economic and environmental opportunities and

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