Col. (Dr.) Teresa O. Bisnett serves as the Command Surgeon, Air Force District of Washington, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. AFDW is the Air Force component to the Joint Forces Headquarters-National Capital Region and is responsible for organizing, training and equipping combat forces for homeland operations, civil support, national special security events and ceremonial events. AFDW also provides major-command-level support for 33,000 military and civilian personnel assigned to 1,758 units stationed at 500 locations in 108 countries worldwide. Col. Bisnett is the senior medical advisor to the dual-hatted Commander of AFDW and the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing, and the Command’s senior medical officer for health service support policy, plans, engagements, and exercises. She is a key and essential liaison with Air Force Medical Command as they provide wartime and contingency medical response readiness at six installations in support of six wings, three headquarters, and over 150 mission partner units.
Col. Bisnett graduated from Albany Medical College, commissioned under the Health Profession Scholarship Program and completed post graduate training in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. In 1999, she began an eight-year break in service due to a family illness during which time she owned a private Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine practice.
Col. Bisnett has served as a staff pulmonologist, Chief of the Medical Staff, Medical Operations Squadron Commander, Tier-1 Medical Group Commander, and Command Surgeon for US Air Forces Central Command and the Air Force Reserve Command. Prior to her current assignment, she was the Special Assistant to the Deputy Director for the Defense Health Agency.
Col. Bisnett has deployed several times as the Intensive Care Unit Medical Director, Critical Care Liaison, Chief of the Medical Staff, and Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron Commander. She is board certified in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.
EDUCATION
1987 Bachelor of Science, Biology, magna cum laude, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y.
1989 Doctor of Medicine, cum laude, Albany Medical College, Albany, N.Y.
1992 Residency in Internal Medicine, Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas
1995 Fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center, Lackland AFB, Texas
2008 Critical Care Air Transport, Primary and Advanced Courses
2008 Air War College, by correspondence
2013 Joint Senior Medical Leaders Course
2015 Interagency Institute for Federal Healthcare Executives
2016 Capstone Conference for Military Health System Leaders
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1989 - June 1995, Internal Medicine Resident, Wilford Hall U.S. Air Force Medical Center, Lackland AFB, Texas
2. July 1992 - June 1995, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellow, Wilford Hall U.S. Air Force Medical Center, Lackland AFB, Texas
3. June 1995 - August 1998, Staff Pulmonologist, 18th Medical Operations Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Japan
4. August 1998 - September 1999, Pulmonologist, 11th Medical Operations Squadron, Andrews AFB, Md.
5. June 2007 - September 2008, Staff Pulmonologist, Wilford Hall U.S. Air Force Medical Center, Lackland AFB, Texas
6. May 2008 - September 2008, Intensive Care Unit Medical Director, Balad AB, Iraq
6. October 2008 - June 2010, Chief of Medical Staff, 59th Inpatient Operations Group, Lackland AFB, Texas
7. July 2010 - June 2013, Commander, 579th Medical Operations Squadron, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C.
8. June 2013 - March 2014, Master Clinician, 88th Medical Group, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
9. August 2013 -November 2013, Commander, 455th Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron, Bagram AB, Afghanistan
10. March 2014 - July 2016, Commander, 673d Medical Group, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
11. July 2016 - April 2019, Command Surgeon, Air Forces Central Command & Ninth Air Force, Shaw AFB, S.C.
12. April 2019 - May 2021, Command Surgeon, Air Force Reserve Command, Robins AFB, Ga.
13. June 2021 - September 2023, Principal Deputy to the Assistant Director, Support, Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, Va.
14. October 2023 - June 2024, Special Assistant to Deputy Director, Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, Va.
15. June 2024 - present, Command Surgeon, Air Force District of Washington, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Defense Superior Service Medal
Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
Iraqi Campaign Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two devices
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
2011 - 2014 Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Consultant to the Air Force Surgeon General
2010 Air Force District of Washington Clinical Excellence Field Grade Officer Award
2009 - 2010 Assistant Program Director, Sleep Medicine Fellowship, 59th Medical Wing
2009 Excellence in Clinical and Academic Teaching Special Experience Identifier
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Captain June 10, 1989
Major May 19, 1995
Lieutenant Colonel June 14, 2007
Colonel June 14, 2013
(Current as of August 2025)