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HomeThomas Salmon Distinguished Service Award

SUSP Thomas Salmon Distinguished Service Award

 


This award is intended to mark an individual’s distinguished contributions to military psychiatry. These contributions, whether through leadership, clinical achievement, or mentorship must have had a lasting impact on the military. Recipients will receive a physical award at the SUSP Annual Triservice Conference.



Eligibility


A current or past member of SUSP who has also achieved the level of distinguished fellow within the APA. Nominee must have been a SUSP member for at least 4 years. Current members of the SUSP executive council are not eligible.



Nomination Process


Please submit (below) a single page (single spaced, 11 pt font, 1” margins) listing your top contributions to military psychiatry (or the contributions of someone else) that occurred during your / their time as a SUSP member. Paragraphs and/or bulleted lists are acceptable. While you may nominate another person, they must be aware of the nomination. The nomination process is identical for nominating yourself or someone else - a single page description. You may nominate more than one person, but each nomination will require a separate submission.



Criteria


Candidates submissions will be reviewed by the current executive committee. There is an emphasis on long term impact in military psychiatry in the areas of research, education, leadership, clinical care, and population health. Rank, academic appointments, and military decorations will be considered, but with less emphasis than tangible impacts.



Submission Deadline & Form


All submissions must be received no later than 21 MAR25. Application submissions are now closed.



Previous Recipients of the Thomas Salmon Award:

2025

 

COL SEBASTIAN SCHNELLBACHER

 

COL Schnellbacher has exemplified the model of an Army psychiatrist and has demonstrated excellence in clinical, operational, academic, and leadership roles. 

COL Schnellbacher has mentored countless Army psychiatrists in the role of the Army Psychiatry consultant. In the last year he even volunteered for a deployment to the Eastern front line when no other Army psychiatrists were readily available. 

In his Army Career, COL Schnellbacher has also served as the Army’s psychiatry consultant, as a deputy commander of clinical services (CMO), as a division surgeon, as the USFOR-A surgeon (in charge of all US Army medical forces during the height of Covid and the Afghanistan drawdown), as the department chief at CRDAMC, started the Army residency at CRDAMC, served as the Commander of the 98th CSC (both deployed and in garrison), served as the chief of inpatient psychiatry at MAMC, and as the division psychiatrist of the 101st Airborne Division (AASLT). 

He has had over 50 presentations including over 35 international and national presentations and is considered an expert in behavioral health, suicide, barriers to mental health care, suicide, malingering, PTSD, and behavioral health care delivery in large scale combat operations.  He has deployed 4 times, three of which to a combat zone.


2024

 

JEFFREY H. MILLEGAN, MD, DFAPA

 

2023

 

CAPT (ret) JAMES CURT WEST, MD

 

2022

 

CAPT PATCHO SANTIAGO

 


2021

 

 

 

2020

 

John C. Bradley, MD, DFAPA

 

2019

 

COL (Ret) Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, MD, MPH

 







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SUSP is a private organization; the views expressed do not represent those of the U.S. government or the Department of Defense. SUSP in not authorized to serve as an intermediary for purposes of providing patient care.

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