Colonel Elder serves as the Commander of the 60th Medical Group and Director of David Grant Meical Center, Travis Air Force Base, California. The Group’s mission is to deliver safe & effective medical and dental care for 276,000 eligible beneficiaries with an operating budget of 165 million dollars. The Group’s 2,400 personnel sustain comprehensive deployable readiness capabilities for the installation’s 8,600 military members in support of three Wings. In addition, the Group provides scores of medical training platforms and training partnerships for technicians, nurses, and privileged providers across all aspects of healthcare.
Colonel Elder received a direct commission in the Air Force Medical Corps in 1999. His education includes a Bachelor of Chemistry, Master of Business Administration, Doctor of Medicine, Board Certification in Anesthesiology, Certified Physician Executive, & expertise in medical safety incident investigations. He has concentrated clinical expertise in neurosurgical &
cardiothoracic anesthesiology as well as pain management & acupuncture. Col. Elder’s previous military duties have included: Staff Anesthesiologist, Anesthesiology Residency Associate Program Director, Chief of the Medical Staff, Commander, Director of Medical Services, Air Force Medical Operations Agency (AFMOA), & Chief of the Transition Team, Air Force Medical Readiness Agency (AFMRA). Prior to his current position, he served as the Commander and Military Treatment Facility Director, 436th Medical Group, Dover AFB, Delaware.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Chemistry, Utah State University, UT.
1999 Doctor of Medicine, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), Bethesda, MD.
2003 Residency Training in Anesthesiology, San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium (SAUSEC), San Antonio, TX.
2009 Medical Acupuncture for Physicians, Helms Medical Institute, Berkeley, CA. 2014 Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL., by correspondence
2014 Safety & Accident Investigation Board President Course, Osan Air Base, Rep. of Korea 2016 Combined Senior Leader Course, Defense Health Headquarters, Falls Church, VA.
2017 Medical Incident Investigation Course, USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.
2018 Certified Physician Executive, Certifying Commission in Medical Management, Tampa, FL. 2019 134th Interagency Institute for Federal Health Care Executives, Bethesda, MD.
2022 Master of Business Administration, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
2023 Joint Medical Executive Skills Program Capstone Course for Military Health System, Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, VA.
2025 Joint Senior Medical Leader Course, Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute & Office of the Joint Staff Surgeon, Falls Church, VA.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. July 1995 – May 1999, Medical Student, F.E.H. School of Medicine, USUHS, Bethesda, MD.
2. June 1999 – August 2003, Anesthesiology Resident, SAUSHEC, Fort Sam Houston, TX.
3. September 2003 – September 2004, Neurosurgical Anesthesiologist, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX.
4. September 2004 – September 2007, Associate Program Director & Staff Anesthesiologist, Residency Training Program in Anesthesiology, SAUSHEC, JBSA, TX.
5. September 2007 – July 2011, Director of Pain Management & Staff Anesthesiologist, 88th Medical Group, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.
6. February 2010 – June 2010, Staff Anesthesiologist, Earthquake Relief Humanitarian Mission, 24th Air Expeditionary Group, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
7. July 2011 – June 2014, Chief of the Medical Staff, 20th Medical Group, Shaw AFB, SC.
8. June 2014 – June 2015, Commander, 8th Medical Operations Squadron, Kunsan AB, ROK
9. July 2015 – July 2016, Commander, 82nd Medical Operations Squadron, Sheppard AFB, TX.
10. July 2016 – June 2018, Deputy Director, Medical Services, AFMOA, JBSA-Lackland, TX.
11. June 2018 – June 2019, Director, Medical Services, AFMOA, JBSA-Lackland, TX.
12. July 2019 – June 2020, Chief of the AFMRA Transition Team, AFMRA, JBSA-Lackland, TX.
13. June 2020 – May 2022, Commander, 633d Surgical Operations Squadron, JBLE, VA. and Lead for Surgical Clinical Management Team (SCMT), Defense Health Agency’s Tidewater Military Health System, Portsmouth, VA.
14. May 2022 – May 2024, Commander, 96th Surgical Operations Squadron, Eglin AFB, FL.
15. May 2024 – June 2026, Commander & Director, 436th Medical Group, Dover AFB, DE.
16. July 2026 – Present, Commander & Director, 60th Medical Group, Travis AFB, CA.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with one silver oak leaf cluster
2024 Air Mobility Command’s Clinic of the Year Award for the 436 MDG, Dover AFB, DE 2025 Air Mobility Command’s Clinic of the Year Award for the 436 MDG, Dover AFB, DE
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
Diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology & National Board of Echocardiography Special Experience Identifiers:
- 2011 Health Expert Acupuncturist
- 2012 Health Excellence in Clinical & Academic Teaching
- 2018 Health Medical Incident Investigator
- 2018 Health Physician Executive
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant June 1, 1995
Captain May 15, 1999
Major May 15, 2005
Lieutenant Colonel May 15, 2011
Colonel May 15, 2017
(Current as of 18 Aug 2026)