Colonel Robert G. Hale, DC, USA, recently received the Humanitarian Award for Fellows and Members from the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS). The award was presented to Colonel Hale at the 91st Annual Meeting, Scientific Sessions and Exhibition of the AAOMS in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on October 14, 2009.

Colonel Hale received this award for his participation in numerous humanitarian medical missions around the world. He has provided humanitarian assistance in Korea, the Phillipines, Mexico, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Vietnam. In presenting the award, AAOMS President, R. Lynn White stated, "Do what you love and you'll be successful. Those who know Colonel Robert G. Hale say he is the embodiment of that philosophy."

While accepting the award, Colonel Hale received the only standing ovation of the evening from an audience of nearly 800 colleagues. Colonel Hale's response was "it must be the uniform". The audience gleefully acknowledged with a sustained standing ovation.

Colonel Hale, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, is the Director of Craniomaxillofacial Research at the US Army Institute of Surgical Research. He is also the Craniomaxillofacial Consultant to the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine and the Commander-Designee of the US Army Dental and Trauma Research Detachment that will relocate to Fort Sam Houston from Great Lakes, Illinois when construction of the Battlefield Health and Trauma Research Institute is completed in May 2010.

Colonel Hale completed undergraduate studies at UCLA and earned his Doctoral and Postdoctoral Certificate in Dentistry and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Emory University. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and a fellow of AAOMS and the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. He has published and lectured extensively on craniomaxillofacial battle-injuries and has held a teaching appointment at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Dentistry since 1990.