60-year-old surgeon joins the Army Reserve
James Burhop hears call for shortage of doctors
At a time when many people would be looking forward to retirement, James Burhop, a 60-year-old surgeon, has joined the military.
Burhop was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve on Saturday — by his daughter, U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Rebecca Burhop.
“There are parents who’ve had the opportunity to commission a child going into the military, but it’s pretty rare to have it the other way around,” said James Burhop, who was sworn into the Army in a ceremony at the Milwaukee County War Memorial, surrounded by family and friends.
“It is a dream to have my daughter doing the commissioning. That’s for sure.”
A surgeon in southeast Wisconsin for 25 years, Burhop will continue his practice at Ascension Elmbrook Hospital in Brookfield until he’s deployed with the Army Reserve’s 911th Forward Surgical Team based in Madison.
Because he’s 60, he received a waiver to join the Army Reserve for a three-year commitment.
There is a shortage of medical doctors in the military, so it’s likely that Burhop’s unit will be deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq to treat combat victims.
He would welcome that opportunity to serve, Burhop said.
“I think as we get older, we start looking for ways to give back to our country. Some guys go on medical missions and some people work at local shelters. I really felt that I wanted to help take care of the men and women who are serving our country in the military,” he said.
Burhop said he’d thought about joining the military earlier, but the timing wasn’t right while he was building his career and he and his wife, Lynn, were raising their three children.
“Now that the kids are all out on their own, it’s freed me up to do this,” he said.
Rebecca, 24, is stationed at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. She graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a bachelor’s degree in general sciences and recently completed the Army’s Officer Candidate School.
“I am honored to be here today. It is pretty cool that I get the opportunity to deliver the oath of office to my father,” she said.
Burhop won’t have to go through boot camp, but he will have to complete some general military training for officers. Also, he will have to participate in regular monthly reservist drills with the surgical unit and other reservist training.
If he chooses to re-enlist after three years, he’s eligible to serve until he’s 67.
Military physicians are in high demand. The Department of Defense has spent up to $59 million annually over the last six years on programs and incentives aimed at attracting and retaining more than 16,000 military physicians, according to a 2018 U.S. Government Accountability Office report. Yet, gaps in services remain.
“Until the (military) services develop and implement strategies to alleviate these gaps, they could be at risk of not being able to provide medical care to service members during wartime,” the report said.
The 911th Forward Surgical Team has been deployed to Iraq where it supported the U.S. Army’s 4th Infantry Division. It handled emergency surgery for injured service members before they were transferred to larger medical facilities in Iraq.
The unit includes surgeons, nurses and other medical personnel. In addition to treating wounded troops, the 911th has taught combat lifesaver courses to Iraqi soldiers.
Burhop said he has many years of trauma surgery experience that would be useful in combat.
“The Army is in need of surgeons, and I am willing to do what I do, so I think it’s a good combination,” he said.
During deployments, he said, the five other surgeons in his practice will cover for him.
“That’s a little bit of a hardship for them, but they’re being good sports about it,” he said.
It took Burhop several years to get into the Army, as older recruits for higher-level positions must complete a rigorous vetting process that includes approval by a special board.
“As I was exploring the option, my daughter was also exploring her options for going in. But she got started sooner than I did, which is why she’s able to do my commissioning,” Burhop said shortly before Saturday’s ceremony.
Lynn Burhop said she has accepted the fact that her husband could be in a combat zone.
“Jim is looking forward to serving his country and being deployed. I am very content with his decision, as he is too,” she said.