Colonel David A. Whitehorn serves as the Commander and Medical Treatment Facility Director, 52nd Medical Group, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. His command spans three squadrons totaling 385 personnel, to include a Limited Scope Medical Treatment Facility located at Geilenkirchen NATO Air Base, Germany. He develops programs and policies to guide coordination of local, regional, and host nation healthcare for 7,000 beneficiaries and medical support to nine geographically separated units across five countries. Colonel Whitehorn executes a $10 million budget and directs medical Personnel Reliability Assurance Program requirements for four units in Northern Europe, as well as deployment medicine for Europe's most heavily deployed fighter wing.
Colonel Whitehorn graduated from nursing school at Minnesota State-Mankato in 1998. He received a direct commission in 2000. Over his Air Force career, he has held a variety of leadership positions in multiple clinical environments as a Nurse Manager, Element Leader, and Flight Commander. Prior to his current position, he served as the Commander of the 60th Inpatient Squadron, Travis Air Force Base, California.
Colonel Whitehorn completed a special duty assignment as a critical care and trauma nursing instructor at the Air Force Center for Sustainment of Trauma and Readiness Skills at Baltimore Shock Trauma. He has also deployed in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM & IRAQI FREEDOM.
EDUCATION
1998 Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minn.
2004 Critical Care Air Transport Team Course, Brooks Air Force Base, Texas
2005 Squadron Officer School, in residence, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
2010 Master of Science in Nursing Education, Walden University, Minneapolis, Minn.
2012 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
2015 Master of Science, Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Md.
2015 Board Certification, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, American Nurses Credentialing Center
ASSIGNMENTS
1. August 2000 – March 2003, Family Practice Nurse, 43rd Medical Operations Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, N.C.
2. April 2003 – October 2007, Clinical Nurse, Critical Care, 759th Surgical Operations Squadron, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
3. November 2007 – July 2009, Element Leader, Surgical Specialties Flight, 59th Surgical Inpatient Squadron, Lackland Air Force
Base, Texas
4. July 2009 – June 2013, Instructor, Critical Care/Trauma Nursing, Center for Sustainment of Trauma and Readiness Skills,
Baltimore, Md.
5. June 2013 – May 2015, Acute Care Nurse Practitioner student, Air Force Institute of Technology, University of Maryland,
Baltimore, Md.
6. June 2015 – June 2019, Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, 60th Inpatient Operations Squadron, Travis Air Force Base, Calif.
7. August 2015 – May 2017, Flight Commander, En-Route Patient Staging Flight, 60th Inpatient Operations Squadron, Travis Air Force Base, Calif.
8. May 2017 – June 2019, Operations Officer, 60th Inpatient Operations Squadron, Travis Air Force Base, Calif.
9. July 2019 – June 2021, Commander, 9th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron, Beale Air Force Base, Calif.
10. June 2021 – June 2023, Chief Nurse, 559th Medical Squadron, JBSA-Randolph Air Force Base, Texas
11. June 2023 – June 2025, Commander, 60th Inpatient Operations Squadron, Travis Air Force Base, Calif.
12. June 2025 – Present, Commander, 52d Medical Group, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Aerial Achievement Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air Force Achievement Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal with two bronze stars
National Defense Service Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2002 43rd Air Wing CGO of the Quarter
2005 Excellence in Clinical Practice in a Non-Traditional Setting Award, American Association of Critical Care Nurses
2009 Air Force Materiel Command Medical-Surgical Nurse of the Year
2018 Air Mobility Command Military Health System Nursing Leadership Award
2018 Air Mobility Command Privileged Advanced Practice Nurse of the Year
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
American Association of Critical Care Nurses
American Association of Nurse Practitioners
American Nurses Association
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant July 23, 1999
First Lieutenant July 23, 2001
Captain July 23, 2003
Major May 1, 2011
Lieutenant Colonel December 1, 2017
Colonel September 1, 2023
(Current as of June 2025)