Shaw doctor earns DoD-wide honor

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Daniel Phelps
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Lt. Col. (Dr.) Leslie Knight, 20th Medical Group deputy commander, greets people with a twinkle in her eye and a smile that seems to light up the room.

As you enter her office, you can't help but notice the table organized with plastic green army men engaged in a little battle.

"These were given to me when I returned from deployment in October," she said. "I'm trying to give them all away before I have a permanent change of station."

The doctor admits she always had an interest in medicine.

"I liked blood and guts, and I liked talking to people," she said.

The doctor recently earned the Military Health System Building Stronger Female Physician Leaders award.

She did not think she would get the award.

"There are a lot of great women in the Air Force," she explained.

However, her boss, Col. Dean Borsos, 20th MDG commander, disagrees.

He described her as an outstanding officer and physician. "She demonstrates that great blend of leadership, clinical experience and operational knowledge," he remarked. He said that throughout her career, Colonel Knight has made dramatic improvements to the Air Force Medical System.

"She was clearly the best person for this job," he said. "She is not just an officer and not just a doctor. She has established herself as a leading authority whose advice and expertise are sought after by health care leaders and physicians across the military and civilian sectors."

Doctor Knight, a Charles County, Md. native, began her journey into the medical field at Salisbury State University, Md.

It was while she was in college that she thought about becoming a nurse, she said. However, she went on, after seeing a couple of her friends go through their clinicals in the nursing program, she decided that nursing was "way too hard" and decided to go the route of medical school.

"Once I got into medical school, I thought 'Oh my gosh," she said as she laughed. "Boy, was I wrong. But, it turned out that I really liked it and found that I really care about people."

After medical school, she decided to go the route of practicing family medicine.

"In family medicine, everything I enjoyed was combined," she explained. "I get to use the scalpel, I get to talk to people and I get the continuity with people that I enjoy. Every day something new comes through the door, and there is no possible way to be bored."

Recently, the doctor arrived back from a volunteer deployment to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.

"I didn't want to go where the war was winding down," she said. "I want to go where it is winding up."

She described the assignment as the best six months of her career. What made it so, she explained, was everyone knew what the mission was and was going beyond what they thought they could do.

Colonel Knight earned a Bronze Star for outstanding leadership and the expeditionary hospital in which she served won a Meritorious Unit Award during her time there. It was the busiest summer for the war in Afghanistan and the hospital set records for evacuations, trauma care and surgical recoveries.

One key moment during her time there, she recalled, was when an Afghan soldier came into the hospital with an unexploded incendiary round stuck in his head.

The staff of the hospital then cordoned off the area, called explosive ordinance disposal and turned off the machines. The anesthesiologist had to count each drip during the surgery as he and the surgeon performed the operation wearing body armor. Once the surgeon, Maj. (Dr.) John Bini took out the round, it was passed off to EOD.

In the past 50 years of medicine, there are less than 50 cases of this type, claimed Major Bini.

"It was one of those lessons that are taught, but no one actually expects to do in real life," said Colonel Knight.

There was no panic during this time, she explained. Everyone knew exactly what to do; gather the experts, get advice and go on.

Mentoring women to be strong leaders and teaching them to step up to and face challenges has played a key role in Colonel Knight's career, she said. She remembers her great mentor when she was a captain who helped her and inspired her to help others the same way.

"She taught me how to pull people along and to get people what they need even if they don't realize they need it," explained Colonel Knight.

She's a role model, said Colonel Borsos. He claimed she has excelled in every role she has been in. As examples, he noted she's held several key roles in the military, from training residents to squadron commander, and now is the senior 20th FW doctor and oversees the clinical prowess of the physicians.

"She is a leader among leaders and her all-out support of our officers and our enlisted corps reflects her superior leadership skills on a daily basis," added Chief Master Sgt. Robert Forrest, 20th MDG superintendent.