Col. David Gilbertson, deputy commander, U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research was honored in a ceremony Dec. 7, upon his retirement from military service effective March 1, 2010. He was awarded the Legion of Merit by Col. Lorne Blackbourne, the USAISR Commander, for his significant contributions to the Army.

In recognizing Gilbertson?s contributions, Blackbourne noted, "Colonel Gilbertson is an acknowledged leader, a strategic thinker and visionary who was instrumental in advancing the use of information systems in military healthcare. He has led the way in telemedicine, clinical information systems, organizational change, and strategy development. He will be missed by both the USAISR and the Army Medical Department."

In his remarks, Gilbertson thanked the officers, soldiers and civilians of the USAISR for their service, telling them that "The USAISR is an outstanding organization because of its people; you make a difference everyday and it has been a privilege serving with you."

Gilbertson is leaving the Army to be the Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer at the University of Connecticut.

Gilbertson graduated summa cum laude from the University of Georgia in 1983 and entered the Army as a second lieutenant in the Medical Service Corps immediately thereafter. He later obtained a master?s degree in medical information sciences from Stanford University. During his illustrious career, most of which was spent in the field of information management, Gilbertson served throughout the world, including assignments at Walter Reed Army Medical Center; William Beaumont Army Medical Center; Tripler Army Medical Center; Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Heidelberg, Germany; Falls Church, Virginia; and Fort Sam Houston, Texas. He also participated in humanitarian missions in Africa and Russia.