Lieutenant General Nadja Y West
By
John C Abercrombie
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The life and career of Lieutenant General Nadja Yudith West is a remarkable journey. She started life as an orphan before being adopted at the age of two, into a family of eleven other adopted children. Her father was dedicated to the military and this positive influence inspired most of them to follow a military career. These children would hear amazing stories of their father’s experiences and the great people that he met during his time in the military. You will learn more about her siblings in the videos that accompany this post.
All of the children were encouraged to do their best and that things would work out for them. Like so many other children and adults of today, there were those who discouraged excellence. These people were not always malicious but unknowing that people can perform up to the expectations of those around them. The opposite is true in that many work down to the expectations they encounter on their life’s journey. This is one of the legacies of racism and lack of exposure to examples of those who have succeeded despite the odds.
Born March 20, 1961, she graduated from the Academy of the Holy Names in Silver Springs, Maryland. Encouraged by a brother who graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1982 and earned a Doctor of Medicine from George Washington University School of medicine in 1988.
Today she is a retired United States Army Lieutenant general and the 44th Surgeon General of the United States Army and a former Commanding General of the United States Army Medical Command.
West is a physician and was the first Black Army Surgeon General. This is a different position than the Surgeon General of the United States. West was the first Black female active-duty major general and the first Black female major general in Army Medicine. Having achieved a number of firsts, she is also the first Army Black female lieutenant general and is the highest-ranking woman to have graduated from the United States Military Academy.
Taking the advice of her parents to be the best that she could, West was promoted to the position of major general on April 19, 2013. She is quoted here “I never really thought about that part. My parents taught me to work hard and be the best I can be, and things will work out. I’m just really honored. If anything at all, I hope I can be an inspiration to anyone or any group that has not seen themselves in certain positions. We all want to see people who look like us doing certain things to give us inspiration. Hopefully, I can inspire someone to be able to say, ‘I can do that.’”
The information given here can be used by many. Those who are determined not to get behind by doing what they have to do before doing what they want to do may encounter bumps in the road, but that philosophy and stick to it ness will propel you greatly.
Nadja West gives credit for a positive influence in her life was seeing the presence of a Black female on Star Trek, Lt Uhura on the bridge of Star Trek’s USS Enterprise. Makes one wonder if the absence of characters like this are intentionally left out of the media and more seriously omitted from our history.
Nichelle Nichols played the role of Uhura. As she was considering leaving the show to pursue other skills, Dr Martin Luther King pleaded with her not to because of the positive image she portrayed. This was the only show he and Coretta Scott King would allow their kids to stay up and watch. In the role, Nichols was successful in attracting many people to excellence, including Dr Mae Jemison, the first Black female American astronaut.
Not only should we strive to make our country better, but keep in mind that although we may not be aware of it, we are role models to someone that we may not know is watching.
On December 11, 2015, the Senate confirmed the nomination of West to be promoted to lieutenant general and she became the 44th Army Surgeon General. This made West the Army’s first Black Surgeon General, as well as the Army’s first Black woman to hold the rank of lieutenant general and the Army’s highest-ranking woman who graduated from the United States Military Academy. Lt. Gen. West was promoted on February 9, 2016, and formally assumed command of MEDCOM on February 10, 2016.
The Army Surgeon General provides advice and assistance to the Secretary of the Army and Army Chief of Staff on all health care matters pertaining to the U.S. Army and its military health care system. West was responsible for development, policy direction, organization and overall management of an integrated Army-wide health service system and is the medical materiel developer for the Army. These duties include formulating policy regulations on health service support, health hazard assessment and the establishment of health standards.
Dual-hatted as the MEDCOM commanding general, West oversaw more than 48 medical treatment facilities providing care to nearly 4 million active-duty members of all services, retirees, and their Family members. MEDCOM is composed of three regional health commands, the Medical Research and Materiel Command, and Army Medical Department Center & School.
West holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a Doctor of Medicine from George Washington University School of Medicine. She has held previous assignments as Commanding General, Europe Regional Medical Command; Commander of Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, N.C.; and Division Surgeon, 1st Armored Division, Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany.
West completed her Family Medicine internship and residency at Martin Army Hospital. She deployed during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield while assigned there. West finished her residency in dermatology at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center and University of Colorado Medical Center. She was Chief, Dermatology Service at Heidelberg Army Hospital in Germany. West obtained a Master of Science in National Security Strategy. Of her military medical career, West says, “If you want to feel inspired about what military medicine does, see how appreciative these men and women are for the care they’ve received. It’s right here. It’s the reason the military health system exists: to take care of brave men and women like them.”
West’s previous command positions include Commanding General, Europe Regional Medical Command; Commander, Womack Army Medical Center; and Division Surgeon, 1st Armored Division, Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany. West was Joint Staff Surgeon, Joint Staff, Washington.
West is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Johnson & Johnson announced on December 3, 2020, that West has been appointed to its board of directors effective immediately. West will serve as a member of the Board’s Science, Technology & Sustainability Committee, effective as of January 1, 2021. As a non-employee director of the company, West will receive compensation as described in the “Director Compensation” section of the company’s 2020 Proxy Statement. In April 2022, West was appointed to the Board of Visitors of the United States Military Academy.
While her accomplishments are outstanding, they come from the encouragement of her family and a deep abiding belief in her abilities. A lesson for all of us.
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LtG Nadja West p2
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Lt. Gen. Nadja Y. West Discusses Diversity
In March 2019, U.S. Army Surgeon General and Medical Command Commanding General Lt. Gen. Nadja Y. West was invited to chat about the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace with John Rainey, Chief Financial Officer and EVP Global Customer Operations at PayPal.
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Book
Black Female Intellectuals in Nineteenth Century America: Born to Bloom Unseen?
Drawing on letters, personal testimony, works of art, novels, and historic Black newspapers, this book is aninterdisciplinary exploration of Black women’s contributions to the intellectual life of nineteenth-century America.
Black Female Intellectuals in Nineteenth Century America reconceptualizes the idea of what the term “intellectual” means through its discussions of both familiar and often forgotten Black women, including Edmonia Lewis, Harriet Powers, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman, amongst others. This re-envisioning brings those who have previously been excluded from the scholarship of Black intellectualism more generally, and Black female intellectuals specifically, into the center of the debate. Importantly, it also situates the histories of Black women participating in the intellectual cultures of the United States much earlier than most previous scholarship.
This book will be of interest to both undergraduate and postgraduate specialists and students in the fields of African American history, women’s and gender history, and American studies, as well as general readers interested in historical and biographical works.
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An amazing collection. Use the link below.
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Senator Murkowski Questions US Army Lt. General West on Defense Health Care
During a Defense Appropriations Subcommittee hearing,
Senator Lisa Murkowski Questioned Lieutenant General Nadja West, Surgeon General of the U.S. Army, on whether Bassett Army Community Hospital will be ready to address the influx of airmen and military families coming to Eielson Air Force Base in the 2020 time-frame, Army specialists consulting on the Indian Health Service, and research on ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).
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Book
Black Women in Science: A Black History Book for Kids
Bold, black women in science – where will their inspiration take you?
Throughout history, black women have blazed trails across the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Black Women in Science brings something special to black history books for kids, celebrating incredible black women in STEM who have used their brains, bravery, and ambition to beat the odds.
Black Women in Science stands out amongst other black history books for kids – featuring 15 powerful stories of fearless female scientists that advanced their STEM fields and fought to build a legacy. Through the triumphs of these amazing women, you’ll find remarkable role models.
Black Women in Science goes where black history books for kids have never gone before, including:
Above and beyond – Soar over adversity with Mae Jemison, Annie Easley, and Bessie Coleman.
Part of the solution – Discover the power of mathematics with Katherine Johnson and Gladys West.
The doctor is in – Explore a life of healing with Mamie Phipps Clark, Jane Cooke Wright, and many more.
Find the inspiration to blaze your own trail in Black Women in Science – maybe your adventure will be the next chapter in black history books for kids.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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ILW Rogers Forum Presents: Lt. Gen. Nadja West – Army Surgeon General
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Book
A Black Women’s History of the United States: ReVisioning American History, Book 5
A 2021 NAACP Image Award Nominee: Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction
Honorable Mention for the 2021 Organization of American Historians Darlene Clark Hine Award
A vibrant and empowering history that emphasizes the perspectives and stories of African American women to show how they are – and have always been – instrumental in shaping our country.
In centering Black women’s stories, two award-winning historians seek both to empower African American women and to show their allies that Black women’s unique ability to make their own communities while combatting centuries of oppression is an essential component in our continued resistance to systemic racism and sexism. Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross offer an examination and celebration of Black womanhood, beginning with the first African women who arrived in what became the United States to African American women of today.
A Black Women’s History of the United States reaches far beyond a single narrative to showcase Black women’s lives in all their fraught complexities. Berry and Gross prioritize many voices: enslaved women, freedwomen, religious leaders, artists, queer women, activists, and women who lived outside the law. The result is a starting point for exploring Black women’s history and a testament to the beauty, richness, rhythm, tragedy, heartbreak, rage, and enduring love that abounds in the spirit of Black women in communities throughout the nation.
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LTG Nadja West with a Special Farewell Message
Lieutenant General Nadja Y. West, the 44th Surgeon General of the United States Army, and Commanding General, US Army Medical Command with a special farewell message.
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Book
Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools
Fifteen-year-old Diamond stopped going to school the day she was expelled for lashing out at peers who constantly harassed and teased her for something everyone on the staff had missed: she was being trafficked for sex. After months on the run, she was arrested and sent to a detention center for violating a court order to attend school. Just 16 percent of female students, Black girls make up more than one-third of all girls with a school-related arrest.
The first trade book to tell these untold stories, Pushout exposes a world of confined potential and supports the growing movement to address the policies, practices, and cultural illiteracy that push countless students out of school and into unhealthy, unstable, and often unsafe futures. For four years, Monique W. Morris chronicled the experiences of Black girls across the country whose intricate lives are misunderstood, highly judged – by teachers, administrators, and the justice system – and degraded by the very institutions charged with helping them flourish. Morris shows how, despite obstacles, Black girls still find ways to breathe remarkable dignity into their lives in classrooms, juvenile facilities, and beyond.
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Medical Wear for Women
A great selection. Click the link below
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Special Retirement Review – LTG Nadja Y. West (2019) 🇺🇸
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For Black History Month 2020, we posted daily. These posts focus on the reality of Black life in America after the Civil War culminating in the landmark Brown v Board of Education that changed so many of the earlier practices. To see the posts, click here
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For Women’s History Month 2023 we introduced you to an additional 31 amazing Black women we should all know.
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Black Roots: A Beginners Guide To Tracing The African American Family Tree
Trace, document, record, and write your family’s history with this easy-to-read, step-by-step authoritative guide.
Finally, here is the fun, easy-to-use guide that African Americans have been waiting for since Alex Haley published Roots more than twenty-five years ago. Written by the leading African American professional genealogist in the United States who teaches and lectures widely, Black Roots highlights some of the special problems, solutions, and sources unique to African Americans. Based on solid genealogical principles and designed for those who have little or no experience researching their family’s past, but valuable to any genealogist, this book explains everything you need to get started, including: where to search close to home, where to write for records, how to make the best use of libraries and the Internet, and how to organize research, analyze historical documents, and write the family history.
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We see amazing accomplishment that flows from a positive attitude starting at home and believed by LTG West. The point is that if we will believe in our selves, we have many accomplishments that we may never have dreamed of. Stay positive, work hard, don’t quit and be amazed at yourself.