Paul K. Carlton, Jr.

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Lieutenant General (Dr.) Paul Kendall Carlton Jr. (born May 13, 1947)^[1] was the 17th Surgeon General of the United States Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Bolling Air Force Base, D.C.

General Carlton was commissioned after being honored a distinguished graduate of the United States Air Force Academy in 1969. He is a fellow and former Air Force governor of the American College of Surgeons. He was named a consultant in general surgery to the Air Force surgeon general in 1981. He conceptualized and implemented the first Air Force rapid-response surgical team in Europe—the flying ambulance surgical trauma team. He remains an active surgeon having performed more than 4,000 operations as principal surgeon and 6,000 as first assistant. He has published extensively in medical literature.

An active flier, General Carlton holds Federal Aviation Administration commercial, instrument, multi-engine, glider and instructor ratings. During Operation Desert Storm, he commanded the 1702nd Air Refueling Wing Contingency Hospital, completing 32 combat support missions and 140 combat flying hours in the C-21, C-130, KC-10 and KC-135. He retired from the Air Force December 1, 2002.

Education

1969 Bachelor of science degree, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado
1973 Doctor of medicine, University of Colorado at Denver

Assignments

September 1969 - May 1973, medical student, University of Colorado, Denver
July 1973 - June 1978, resident, general surgery, Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
June 1978 - April 1979, staff surgeon, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England
April 1979 - May 1982, Chief, General Surgery, USAF Hospital, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona
May 1982 - August 1985, Chairman, Department of Surgery, USAF Regional Medical Center, Wiesbaden Air Base, West Germany
August 1985 - May 1988, Commander, USAF Hospital, Torrejon Air Base, Spain
May 1988 - August 1991, Commander, USAF Medical Center, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois (October 1990 - March 1991, Commander, 1702nd Air Refueling Wing Contingency Hospital, Southwest Asia)
August 1991 - September 1994, Director, Medical Services and Training, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
September 1994 - May 1999, Commander, 59th Medical Wing, Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
May 1999 - November 1999, Commander and Director, Air Force Medical Operations Agency, Office of the Surgeon General, Bolling Air Force Base, D.C.
December 1999–present, The Surgeon General of the Air Force, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Bolling Air Force Base, D.C.