The American College of Emergency Physicians on Aug. 1 recognized Maj. James Eadie, vice chair of emergency medicine, medical director, and flight commander at Wilford Hall Medical Center in Texas, as a “hero of emergency medicine.” The honor, coming on the college’s 40th anniversary, is meant to recognize physicians who have made significant contributions to emergency medicine, their communities, and their patients. Eadie, as Wilford Hall medical director, oversees USAF’s largest and only Level 1 trauma center emergency department. It treats more than 50,000 patients annually and has 48 military emergency medicine residents. He has served twice in Iraq, logging 19 combat medical missions, and has also volunteered extensively overseas, including activities in Belize and Guyana. (Lackland AFB, Tex. report)
A top Pentagon tech official called on industry this week to help the military develop “lighter, more efficient” directed energy weapons designed to go on aircraft and conduct special operations missions or down drones—areas where the Air Force’s directed energy efforts have been quiet as of late.