Naval Retirement of CDR George Newton | Balboa Naval Hospital San Diego, CA
I'm back and excited to share the words of Lisa Corey Newton from early 2021 in regards to her husband, CDR George Newton DO, MPH, celebrating 28 years of active service - not to include ROTC.
Job well done, Sir.
"In January of 1985, 19-year-old George walked into the Air Force ROTC recruiting office at University of Puget Sound toting his leather jacket, long hair, pierced ear, and pack of cigarettes, having no idea what he was actually in for. He was just looking for a way to pay for college. Weren’t we all!
After 4 years of ROTC, George was commissioned in the Air Force as a Navigator in June 1989. From there he flew for 5 years on the KC-135 Stratotanker, refueling B-52 bombers AKA “The Buff,” F-15 strike fighters, F-117 Nighthawk Stealth Attack Aircraft, and the B-2 spirit bomber, and a number of naval aircraft. He flew missions for the First and Second Gulf War, patrolling the northern and southern Iraqi no-fly zones. Most notably, he flew the lead tanker in the air defense attack on Iraq in June 1993.
In 1994, George completed an intarservice transfer from the Air Force to the Navy to accept his scholarship to medical school, and off to Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine he went.
In 1998-1999 he completed his medical internship year at Naval Medical Center San Diego, followed by a year long program at Harvard Medical School to receive a Masters in Public Health combined with an Aerospace Medicine Residency in Pensacola, FL.
In 2002, he hopped costs to Ventura County CA as the Senior Regional Flight Surgeon at Point Magu Naval Airstation. He reported to the Commodore for the Airborne Early Morning Wing Pacific Fleet.
3 years later, he hopped coasts again to accept an anesthesia residency at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth in Portsmouth Virginia. From 2005-2008 George trained as an anesthesia resident for the busiest surgical services for the entire Department of Defense.
After training, he stayed on as a Staff Anesthesiologist, winning an award for Teacher of the Year, chosen by the residents of the program.
In 2010, he deployed to Afghanistan with the US Army as an Individual Audmentee Staff Anesthesiologist. His tour of duty was at Camp Bastion in the Southern Helmand Province, which was the busiest trauma hospital in the world at that time, and worked along side the British Royal Air Force.
After 9 months, George returned to Virginia to continue as a Staff Anesthesiologist for 2 more years. He was then offered the position for the Director of Surgical Services at the Robert E Bush Naval Hospital, Twentynine Palms and moved back to California to take on a significant leadership role. This hospital supports the Marine Corps Airground Combat Center in the Mojave Desert. During this tour, he received the Meritorious Service Medal, a prestigious leadership award.
From there, he was assigned an overseas post with the US Naval Hospital Naples in Naples, Italy, and served as the Anesthesia Department Head. He was also privileged to travel to over 15 countries during his 2 year assignment.
In 2016, he was offered the position of Senior Medical Officer for the USS Theodore Roosevelt Aircraft Carrier (CVN-71) moored in San Diego, California. As the SMO, he lead a 50-person department and was responsible for the care of over 5,000 people aboard the ship. He totaled a year at sea including a 6-month combat deployment to the Persian Gulf. Captain, now Admiral Sardiello was quoted stating: “This is the best medical department I have seen in 28 years.” George received his second Meritorious Service Medal for his service on the TR.
In 2018, he arrived to his final assignment at Naval Medical Center San Diego. Here he served as the Vice-Chairman for the Department of Anesthesia and most notably, served as the surgical services subject matter expert for all COVID-19 related processes and procedures. He is still fondly referred to as the Covid King.
In 2011, his now wife Lisa joined his journey, adding 2 little ones to their life: Natalie, born at Naval Medical Center San Diego in 2017, and Ava, also born at NMCSD in 2019.
Anyone that knows George knows how humble he is about his accomplishments. To write this history out has been my privilege, and I am truly honored to be his wife and to have been part of his final 10 years in the Navy. He is the best dad to our little girls and we are so excited that the time has finally come to join us in our forever home in Northern Virginia."
If you want military event coverage like this, let me know right here!
And some lightly posed images to end the retirement with before a very nice lunch.