Colonel (Dr.) Jay Johannigman Retires After 46 Years of Distinguished Military Service

CINCINNATI, Nov. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- After more than four decades of selfless service, Colonel (Dr.) Jay Johannigman is retiring from the United States military, marking the end of a 46-year career that transformed both military and civilian trauma care. Serving in the Air Force and Army, Dr. Johannigman became one of the nation's most respected trauma surgeons, educators, and medical innovators.

His career has been defined by courage, compassion, and relentless dedication to saving lives. He completed eight combat tours in the Middle East, serving as a trauma surgeon at the Craig Joint Theater Hospital in Bagram, Afghanistan, and as a contracted trauma surgeon at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Dr. Johannigman was instrumental in establishing the Critical Care Air Transportation Team (CCATT) concept, which provides in-flight critical care for wounded service members. Under his leadership, the program achieved a 99 percent survival rate for patients transported from combat zones, setting a global standard for military medicine.

He served as Director of Trauma and Critical Care (IMA to the Department of Defense Health Affairs) and as a liaison to the USAF Center for the Sustainment of Trauma and Readiness Skills (C-STARS) program, where he trained hundreds of physicians, nurses, and medics in advanced trauma systems. Over his career, he authored more than 100 peer-reviewed papers that advanced trauma and critical care protocols worldwide.

Dr. Johannigman's service has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Legion of Merit (2022, Afghanistan deployment), the Bronze Star Medal for combat valor, the Meritorious Service Medal (multiple), the Army Commendation Medal, and the Lifetime Career Achievement Award from the Military Health System Research Symposium in 2015.

Reflecting on his years of service, Dr. Johannigman said, "Forty-six years of service do not come without sacrifice. There are the obvious ones that come with deployments and witnessing the worst moments of war. But there are also the quiet sacrifices, the ones you carry alone with strength and resolve. You endure them without complaint because the mission and the people you serve are worth it. Service is both a burden and a privilege, and I would choose it again."

As he transitions into retirement, Dr. Johannigman returns to Cincinnati, Ohio, where his civilian career and teaching legacy continue. The systems he helped build, the colleagues he mentored, and the lives he saved stand as a testament to his lifelong service.

About Dr. Jay Johannigman
Dr. Jay Johannigman, M.D., Colonel (Ret.), served 46 years in the United States Air Force and Army. A trauma and critical care surgeon, he has held leadership positions across military and civilian hospitals and continues to contribute to trauma medicine and education in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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