Cooper’s Section of Military, Diplomatic, and Field Affairs works together with our U.S. military to maintain the readiness of our troops. This section helps conduct intense clinical trauma training for our nation’s elite commando and diplomatic special operations forces. At Cooper, we provide those who serve overseas with the medical training, technology, and leadership to hone their skills in a learning environment while saving lives with the oversight of our expert trauma team.
Click here to see the team in action.
Our military trains alongside our Cooper team, including:
- Col. John Chovanes, DO, FACS, USAR MC, a surgeon in the Department of Surgery in the Division of Trauma, Acute Care Surgery, and Surgical Critical Care. Dr. Chovanes has completed six tours of duty in support of a variety of U.S. military operations. He received the Army Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service after successfully removing an unexploded rifle-propelled grenade from a U.S. soldier and the U.S. Army Soldier’s Medal for Heroism after the 2001 World Trade Center attacks for providing field surgical care for a PANYNJ police officer trapped in the collapsed basement of the World Trade Center.
- SFC Corey F. Terry, our on-site receptor for the Special Operations Combat Medic Course Field Internship. Terry is a special forces medical sergeant (18D) with more than 24 years of military service experience, including deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, and Europe. SFC Terry has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal (2nd award), Meritorious Service Medal (3rd award), Army Commendation Medal (4th award), Army Achievement Medal (3rd award), Combat Infantryman Badge, Combat Action Badge, and U.S. Army Excellence in Competition Badge (Bronze, Rifle).
- Col. Kirby R. Gross, MD, FACS, is an Army trauma surgeon assigned to Cooper MILDAF. Col. Gross has deployed 10 times, totaling more than five years of combat service. This has resulted in more than 300 operative cases in support of combat action within Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Dr. Gross served on the committee that developed the American College of Surgeons’ Military Trauma System manual and on a multitude of civilian professional medical societies.
Learn more about this program here.