Where did you serve and what did you do?

I graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1989 and served as a Medical Service Corps officer for almost ten years before starting medical school. My first assignment was with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC where I served as Medical Platoon Leader, 2-325 Airborne Infantry Regiment. In 1990, as then-2LT Lynch, I deployed with 2-325 AIR to Panama and later to the Middle East for Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM. Upon redeployment in 1991, I was assigned as Executive Officer, C Co 307th Medical Battalion; then as Aide-de-camp to the Commanding General of 44th Medical Brigade; and later as Company Commander, Headquarters and Support Company, 261st Area Support Medical Battalion. Following a tour at Fort Sam Houston, TX as an instructor for the AMEDD Officer Basic Course, I attended the Dartmouth-Brown Medical School Program to begin my career as a clinician in 1998. After earning a master of science in healthcare improvement from Dartmouth College in 2001 and graduating from Brown Medical School in 2003, I began residency training in Family Medicine at Tripler Army Medical Center, Hawaii. Upon completion in 2006, I was assigned as Battalion Surgeon, 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group at Fort Campbell, KY where I deployed in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Following my second tour to Iraq with 5th SFG in 2009, I began subspecialty training at the military sports medicine fellowship in Bethesda, MD. Upon completion, I returned to Fort Bragg and was assigned to the Combat Applications Group, United States Army Special Operations Command where I served three years as Deputy Command Surgeon, deploying in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM-Afghanistan. I was then assigned as Command Surgeon for Special Operations Command-Africa in Stuttgart, Germany. Between 2013-2017, I deployed to Africa numerous times in support of various special operations activities spanning from Senegal to Somalia. Finally, as a Colonel, I returned to Fort Bragg to serve as Command Surgeon at 3rd Operational Support Group, United States Army Special Operations Command, and retired in 2020. No regrets.

How are you Still Serving?

I treat PTSD. After serving 31 years in Army medicine, in 2021 I founded The Stellate Institute in Annapolis, Maryland to treat Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I am a world expert in using a simple procedure called Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) to treat PTSD, which has been a life changing procedure for thousands of our patients over the past 12+ years. Over the past 3 years, our patients have traveled to Maryland to receive SGB from 48 out of 50 US states and 9 different countries.

Why do you do it?

Treating those who are suffering from the effects of trauma is my life’s work. I love it. I have the best job in the world, because every day I get to help people who are suffering. And the vast, vast majority of them after a 15-minute simple, safe procedure get dramatically better. It is an amazing privilege. It is extremely rewarding to help others relieve their pain and suffering and to provide hope to those who feel lost. Their stories are incredible: