Originally from New York, I retired from the Navy in 2012 after 21 years of service. I served as a flight surgeon and then as a general surgeon and rose through the ranks to captain and director of Surgical Services at the Naval Hospital Pensacola. After completing a fellowship in minimally invasive and bariatric surgery, I joined the surgical team at the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, where we practiced general and bariatric surgery. I deployed to Iraq and to Afghanistan where I served as the officer in charge of a forward surgical team. The field of bariatrics is continually growing. As a surgeon, it is both challenging and rewarding. As a member of a robust medical and surgical weight loss team, it is very fulfilling.