The General Maxwell R. Thurman Award for Excellence in Telemedicine and Advanced Medical Technology recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions and demonstrated outstanding excellence and achievement in the advancement of telemedicine/telehealth. The recipient of the 2014 Thurman Award is Col. C. Becket Mahnke, MC, Chief of Pediatric Cardiology at Tripler Army Medical Center, for his achievement in moving the Pacific Asynchronous TeleHealth into a fully operational system with demonstrated improvements in healthcare access, quality and cost. PATH is a web-based, asynchronous, HIPAA-compliant platform used for provider-to-provider tele-consultation and aeromedical evacuation case management.

In an award ceremony conducted by video teleconference October 6, Col. Dan Kral, director of the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center at Fort Detrick, Maryland virtually" presented this long standing, prestigious award to Mahnke, who is located at TAMC, alongside hospital commander, Col. David K. Dunning. As Kral stated, It is only fitting that we should use communications technology to present an award that recognizes advancement in health communications technology, such as telehealth. Mahnke's singular contribution to the development and fielding of PATH provides Army Medicine with a robust and cost-effective means of providing quality patient care across vast distances." Mahnke is the 20th recipient of the Thurman Award since its inception in 1996.

General Max Thurman was a four-star Army general who coined the famous Army slogan of Be All You Can Be," was a champion of the Soldier and a pioneer of advancing technology.

His famous quote, which is engraved on the award, is as follows: "The mission of the Army Medical Dept. is to provide world class combat casualty care to America's most precious resource - It's Sons and Daughters - In Peace and War!"