Iraq and Afghanistan
“In 2004 I was deployed to Iraq with the Marine Corps as officer-in-charge of a forward surgical team. We worked in Al Anbar Province and Fallujah where there were numerous casualties. The following year I was deployed to Al Asad, Iraq; and in 2010 and 2011 to Helmand province in Afghanistan. When the Marines planned to do a sweep or other kinetic operations, our surgical team would be sent ahead of time to the region to prepare to receive casualties. Afghanistan was eye opening. It is a country of fiercely independent tribes. Oftentimes, the men would bring injured children to us (the women were not allowed to do so). They were quite gracious when we took care their family’s injuries.”
Dr. Covey was chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego for seven years, during which time he oversaw the education of many residents and medical students. “It has been gratifying to see those who I’ve mentored become outstanding orthopedic surgeons.” Dr. Covey continues training residents in his current position as an orthopedic surgery faculty member at University of California San Diego.
The Original Leader…His Dad
Dr. Covey’s father, a retired Marine, worked in agriculture and subsequently in education to support his eight children. “My upbringing was rather humble, but my parents imbued me with the values of service to country and to be the best one could be. One evening during my junior year in high school my parents said they couldn’t afford to send me to college, but suggested I look at the U.S. Naval Academy.”
Fortunately, Dana Covey’s potential was evident to the military. “I was appointed to the Naval Academy where becoming a leader is woven into the fabric of the culture.”
His father’s core principles of being a servant leader and taking care of one’s people were immediately palpable in this new environment. “Being truthful, forthright, and transparent were of the utmost importance.”
Fascinated with the complexities of the human body, in 1980 Dana Covey entered medical school, receiving his degree with honors from the University of Washington in 1984. “I then undertook an orthopaedic surgery internship and residency at Louisiana State University Medical Center in 1989. Because this was the era of no resident work hour restrictions, I basically lived at the hospital and learned by doing. This experience prepared me well for my fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania.”
Few Awards He Hasn’t Received…
Dr. Covey is the recipient of an array of awards and honors, including the Legion of Merit (two awards), Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with two Gold Stars, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Gold Star, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Gold Star, Combat Action Ribbon, and Joint Meritorious Unit Award with Oak Leaf Cluster. He also has received the Sir Henry Wellcome Medal and Prize for outstanding medical research, the Colonel Brian Allgood Award for Leadership in Orthopaedic Surgery, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Award for Excellence in Military Medicine, and an AAOS Presidential Commendation.
To those considering military orthopedic surgery, Dr. Covey states, “Staffing levels rise and fall, and it is difficult to determine when and where there might be a need. It is a phenomenal way to serve your country, enhance your skills, travel the world, and represent the U.S. in a favorable way. Military medical personnel are often viewed differently from combatants in the minds of the local population. Even though there is ongoing war, they much appreciate the medical care they receive.”
Usually.
“Although we strove to provide everyone with the same level of service—even the Taliban fighters—sometimes these combatants did not appreciate their treatment and could be violent. But this was not the norm.”
