Graduating Uniformed Services University Students Seek to Serve: Over 250 Health Professionals Join the Ranks
ABC News Correspondent Bob Woodruff delivered the commencement speech for the Uniformed Services University's Class of 2024.
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ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff delivered the USU Commencement address. Woodruff spoke of his firsthand experience as a recipient of care from the Military Health System following his 2006 life-threatening injuries in Iraq. (Photo credit: Tom Balfour, USU) |
May 29, 2024 by Sharon Holland
Within the grand setting of the historic Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, more than 250 new physicians, advanced practice nurses, scientists, clinical psychologists, health educators, public health specialists, administrators and policymakers, and one combat medic received their diplomas May 18 – Armed Forces Day – marking the graduation of the Uniformed Services University (USU) Class of 2024.
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Faculty marshals Navy Cmdr. Brittany Turner and Lt. Cmdr. Dewitt Duong proudly display the USU PDC banners during the 2024 graduation procession. (Photo credit: Tom Balfour, USU) |
“This is a day that we need to celebrate. It’s a great day to celebrate the academic achievements of all of our graduates today and all of those who supported them throughout their academic journey. It’s also a celebration of their future service and provision of healthcare to better this country,” said USU President Jonathan Woodson during the ceremony.
Renowned ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff delivered a powerful commencement address, sharing his harrowing experience of sustaining life-threatening injuries while reporting from a combat zone in Iraq in 2006. Woodruff recounted the exceptional care he received from Military Health System providers, including USU graduates, who saved his life, rebuilt his skull, and helped him recover. His inspiring story underscored the profound impact of USU's graduates on the lives of those they serve.
“..We were hit by an improvised explosive device from the left. I was knocked out by the air pressure, followed by the metal, followed by the stones, penetrating my brain. … I was quickly pulled back inside [the vehicle] by my producer and my sound man. I was unconscious for about two minutes, and when I fell down into the tank, I looked up at my producer and I asked him, ‘are we alive?’ He said, ‘you’re alive.’ And that’s the last thing I really remember until I woke up 36 days later in Bethesda Naval [hospital]. … I am alive because of what you people do, you miracle workers,” Woodruff told the graduating class and attendees. “Sometimes I tell people that at least there is one good thing about war, and that is medical advancements that are developed on the sands and on the pavements in war zones. I was told many times that if I had been hit in a similar way five years before, I would be dead.”
The Commencement ceremony may be viewed here.
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Army Capt. (Dr.) Joseph Caraway is congratulated by USU President Dr. Jonathan Woodson, Board of Regents Chair Dr. Nancy Dickey, and the Honorable Lester Martinez-Lopez, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, after receiving his diploma. (Photo credit: Tom Balfour, USU) |
