Assistant Surgeon General Delivers Powerful Reflections at USU’s Celebration of the 227th U.S. Public Health Service Birthday

Rear Admiral Brandon Taylor Honors the Critical Role of the Nation’s Public Health Service. 

Rear Adm. Brandon Taylor, Assistant Surgeon General and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, delivers

remarks during the U.S. Public Health Service’s 226th birthday celebration at the Uniformed Services

University, highlighting the Service’s proud legacy and continued commitment to protecting, promoting,

and advancing the health and safety of the Nation. (Photo credit: Tom Balfour, USU)

July 23, 2025 by Sharon Holland

The Uniformed Services University (USU) marked the 227th birthday of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) on July 16 with a celebration featuring keynote remarks from Rear Admiral Brandon L. Taylor, Assistant Surgeon General, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, and Director of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Department of Health and Human Services.

In his stirring address, Taylor honored the rich legacy and enduring mission of the USPHS Commissioned Corps, reminding the audience that their service is rooted in a deep and abiding commitment to public health.

“Today is not just about marking time—it’s about honoring the values, the courage, and the unwavering commitment that define who we are,” he said.

Taylor encouraged attendees to reflect on their personal call to service and the spark that inspired them to join the Corps. “Think about the first time you put on this uniform,” he urged. “That sense of purpose—that spark of service—is why we’re here. It’s what binds us together across agencies, disciplines, time zones, Services, and generations.”

He recounted the humble origins of the USPHS, founded in 1798 to care for sick and disabled sailors, and traced its evolution into a modern, mission-ready uniformed service that responds to crises around the globe.

“We are the only uniformed service whose primary weapon is science, whose battlefield is disease, and whose mission is health and public health,” Taylor emphasized. “Whether responding to a flood in Kentucky, deploying to a refugee camp in Guatemala, or assisting with overdose response in Ohio—we are there. We show up. And we serve.”

U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Ensign Annabelle Bailey, a Uniformed Services University student, joins

Rear Adm. Brandon Taylor, Assistant Surgeon General and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, in cutting

the cake during USU’s celebration of the USPHS 226th birthday. (Photo credit: Tom Balfour, USU)

Taylor shared his own journey to the Corps, including his early misperception that a uniformed recruiter was from the Navy. “As an Army brat, I didn’t particularly want to serve in the military,” he recalled, laughing. But learning about the mission and the unique opportunities for pharmacists in the USPHS changed his mind. “I was smitten,” he said.

Throughout his remarks, Taylor highlighted the Corps’ core values—leadership, service, integrity, and excellence—and underscored the importance of earning trust and integrating deeply into communities. Quoting his longtime friend and USPHS colleague Rear Adm. Chris Bina, he said, “Our success depends on how well we integrate—not just across disciplines, but into communities, into systems, and into moments where trust must be earned.”

Taylor also reminded the audience of the power of public health to impact entire populations, echoing former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop’s words: “Health care is vital to all of us some of the time, but public health is vital to all of us all of the time.”

In closing, Taylor offered a powerful call to service: “This uniform tells a story. It tells a mother in a disaster shelter that her child will receive care. It tells a tribal elder that clean water is coming. It tells a returning veteran that someone sees their pain and stands ready to help… We believe that when our country is hurting, we show up with strength, with skill, and with compassion.”

As USU faculty, staff, and students joined in the celebration, Rear Adm. Taylor left them with a reminder of their shared mission and a message of pride: “Stand tall. Serve proud. Carry the light. Carry on.”