Commanding General
Major General Paula C. Lodi
Commanding General, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command
Deputy Assistant Director, Research and Engineering, Defense Health Agency
Senior Commander, Fort Detrick, Maryland
Major General Paula Lodi assumed command of USAMRDC in July of 2024. She is a native of Franklin, Massachusetts and commissioned into the Medical Service Corps as a Distinguished Military Graduate of the Rutgers University ROTC program.
Her first assignments were with Forward Support Battalions in the 3d Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany, and 4th Infantry Division, Fort Cavazos, Texas, where she served in a variety of Medical and Multi- functional Logistics positions including Ambulance Platoon Leader, Battalion S1 and S4, Support Ops Maintenance Officer, Brigade S4, and Company Commander. Over two tours at Fort Cavazos, she additionally served as Deputy Chief, Managed Care and Executive Officer at Darnall Army Medical Center; Plans Officer for III Corps; Executive Officer of 21st Combat Support Hospital; and Deputy Brigade Commander of 1st Medical Brigade. Other assignments include Operations Officer, 18th MEDCOM DCS-OPS in Seoul Korea; Chief, Military Personnel at William Beaumont Army Medical Center, Fort Bliss; Executive Officer to the Director of the Army Staff at the Pentagon and Chief, Leader Training Center at Medical Center of Excellence. Command assignments include the 15th Sustainment Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 14th Combat Support Hospital, 44th Medical Brigade, Regional Health Command — Atlantic and most recently 18th Theater Medical Command. Other assignments as a General Officer include Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations for the Office of the Surgeon General and U.S. Army Medical Command; the Deputy Commanding General (Support) U.S. Army Medical Command.
Her awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Bronze Star (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Meritorious Service Medal (6 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Humanitarian Service Medal, and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. She is a recipient of the Dr. Mary E. Walker and the St. Joan D'Arc Awards and is inducted into the Official Order of Military Medical Merit (O2M3). She possesses the "A" proficiency designator awarded by the Surgeon General. She has earned the Expert Field Medical Badge and the Parachutist Badge. She is a graduate of the Army Medical Department (AMEDD) Officer Basic Course, Combined Logistics Officer Advanced Course, Combined Arms Staff Course, Command and General Staff College & School of Advanced Military Studies.
She holds master's degrees in public administration, military arts and science, and national security and strategic studies. Her military education includes the Joint Planning Course and the Support Operations Officer Course.
Her deployment experience includes tours as a Corps Planner (OIF2), Task Force Medical 134 (Theater Detainee Operations) Executive Officer (OIF 06-08), and Battalion Commander (OIF 09-11). Her participation in humanitarian operations includes Operation Provide Comfort and Hurricane Katrina Relief Operations.