Donald Arthur

Donald Caldwell Arthur Jr. (born January 4, 1950)[1][2] is a former United States Navy medical corps vice admiral (VADM). He entered the Navy in 1974, qualified as both a naval flight surgeon[3] and a Submarine Medical Officer, and eventually served as the 35th Surgeon General of the United States Navy from 2004 to 2007.[4]

Donald Arthur
Surgeon General of the Navy
In office
2004–2007
Personal details
Born (1950-01-04) January 4, 1950
Northampton, Massachusetts
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Navy
Years of service1974–2007
Rank Vice Admiral

Early life and education

Born in Northampton, Massachusetts,[1][5] Arthur received a B.A. degree from Northeastern University and continued to pursue graduate studies in genetics there. He never completed his M.A. degree before joining the Navy in 1974. Arthur received his Navy sponsored medical degree from the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in 1978[6] and then completed a residency in emergency medicine. He deployed with the Marine Corps Second Medical Battalion during Operation Desert Shield/Storm[7] but never served under combat conditions.[6]

In June 1992, Arthur received a Ph.D. in healthcare management from Century University in New Mexico. In August 1993, he received a J.D. from LaSalle University in Louisiana. The legitimacy of these two degrees was later called into question.[6]

Career

Arthur commanded Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune and National Naval Medical Center Bethesda. He served as director of Marine Corps Medical Programs, as assistant chief for Naval Health Care Operations and as Deputy Surgeon General.[7]

Arthur's work on the Defense Health Board Task Force on Mental Health[8] reflected his advocacy for PTSD in service members and combat veterans. He addressed the stigma of mental health[9] in the military and made efforts to alleviate it. Arthur was an advocate for service members who incurred and suffered with Traumatic Brain Injury.

Credentials investigation

In 2005, author and activist B.G. Burkett urged then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen to investigate Arthur, claiming that some of his education credentials were inappropriate, because they had been obtained from unaccredited institutions, and that they had influenced his promotions within the Navy. In turn, Arthur claimed that he had been misinformed about the institution's accreditation, and that an internal investigation by the Navy had cleared him of any wrongdoing.[10] Despite this, Arthur was quoted to have said the following about the incident at the time, "I could say I was naive, but I was 40 years old. And I didn't understand completely what was going on."[10]

Awards and decorations
Gold star
Bronze star
Navy Flight Surgeon Insignia
Navy Distinguished Service Medal with one gold award star
Legion of Merit with three gold award stars Meritorious Service Medal with two award stars Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with two award stars
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal Combat Action Ribbon Navy Unit Commendation
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation with two bronze 3/16 service stars Battle "E" Fleet Marine Force Ribbon
Navy Expeditionary Medal National Defense Service Medal with two service stars Southwest Asia Service Medal w/ FMF Combat Operation Insignia and two service stars
Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with two service stars Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon with service star
Special Operations Service Ribbon Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) Navy Rifle Marksmanship Medal Navy Pistol Marksmanship Medal
Submarine Medical Insignia

Personal

Arthur is the son of Donald Caldwell Arthur Sr. (September 3, 1920 – September 27, 2007) and Mary Ann (Siconolfi) Arthur (March 24, 1926 – November 19, 2007). His father enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II, serving at the Battle of the Bulge. Both born in Northampton, Massachusetts, his parents were married there on July 3, 1948. Arthur Jr. has one sister.[11][12]

Arthur Jr. married Marianne Mele on August 18, 1973, in Tenafly, New Jersey. The couple had one child, but were divorced on December 18, 1980.[1]

References
  1. "Report of Divorce or Annulment". No. 80–023483. Richmond, Virginia: Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Health–Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics.
  2. Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Reserve Officers on the Active-Duty List. Bureau of Naval Personnel. October 1, 1984. p. 255. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  3. "Flight Surgeon". Archived from the original on 2014-05-14. Retrieved 2014-05-13.
  4. "Navy.mil Leadership Biographies". United States Navy. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  5. Vital Records Index to Births, 1916–1970. Boston, Massachusetts: Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Registry of Vital Records and Statistics.
  6. Goldstein, Josh (February 3, 2009). "Doctor who checks credentials faces questions over his own resume". The Inquirer. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  7. Sobocinski, André B. (October 6, 2011). "VADM Donald C. Arthur, Surgeon General (2004-2007)". Tranquillity, Solace & Mercy. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  8. "Defense Health Board Task Force on Mental Health" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-11-29. Retrieved 2010-08-11.
  9. "DoD News Briefing with Dr. S. Ward Casscells, Vice Adm. Donald Arthur, Rear Adm. John Mateczun, Maj. Gen. Gale Pollock, Maj. Gen. Bruce Green, Col. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, Ellen Bmbre, and Shelley Macdermid from the Pentagon". www.globalsecurity.org.
  10. Working, Russell; Lelia Boyd Arnheim (October 1, 2008). "Navy resume doesn't quite hold water". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  11. "Donald C. Arthur". The Day. New London, Connecticut. September 29, 2007. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  12. "Mary Ann Siconolfi Arthur". The Day. New London, Connecticut. November 21, 2007. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
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