Dr. Greg Miller joined the National Guard at 51, using an exception for physicians allowing them to join at ages beyond the standard maximum age of 34. Greg started with a direct commission course in April 2022. Changes in medicine and Greg’s career path allowed him the needed time flexibility. Greg noted that his dad was in the Army from 1970-72. Greg was sworn in during Covid over Zoom. Click READ MORE -- AND BE SURE TO READ TO THE END -- for more and to read about Greg Miller.
Greg reviewed the process of going through training. He noted that MD’s get a “basic training light” but do train with firearms and other expected soldiering tasks. He showed us a slide reporting the death of a 23-year-old soldier in a training accident. Greg’s group went through the same training, and reading about the accident brings home the risks.
From November 24 through February 25 Dr. Miller was deployed to Kuwait. He was in Camp Buehring, Kuwait, and he said that he never left the 2 square mile base during the 3-month deployment. He happily reported that no one died or was seriously injured, which Major Miller considered a major win.
Greg showed us how the Guard creates some semblance of home: the camp has a Baskin Robbins and a Starbucks. He also showed Christmas decorations. The effects of being away from home and family at such times are significant.
Medical facilities at Camp Buehring included a couple of clinics and a mini-ER – not as well-equipped as a US emergency room, which requires more reliance on judgment and experience. Greg noted that there are good facilities in Kuwait City, but serious injuries or illnesses could result in transfer to Germany if a higher level of care is needed.
When Greg went through mortar training, a sergeant asked him about how medical professionals in the service could reduce the long-term effects of continued exposure to the noise and vibration of mortar round firing. Blast overpressure is the condition that comes from repeated exposure to the explosions inherent in firing mortars, and the sergeant informed Greg that the long-term effects are serious and sometimes life-threatening.
Dr. Miller and another MD have taken the incredible, much needed step of creating a study of the effects of mortar blast exposure. He showed a slide of the team of 5 that are principals on the mortar study: mortar unit sergeants, a medic, Greg, and another MD who is a neurosurgeon.
Greg finished with a couple of slides on his effort to fill a gap in primary care medicine. Cascade Primary Care will follow the Direct Primary Care model.
About the Speaker: Dr. Miller has been a family physician for more then 25 years, and he has lived in four states. Greg and Molly have four children. He is currently on a mission to change healthcare with an affordable and accessible primary care clinic following the Direct Primary Care model by starting Cascade Primary Care.