WRNMMC, Bethesda, MD  –   Army Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Ronald J. Place, director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA), presented Dr. Louis French, deputy director of the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) with the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Medal for Distinguished Civilian Service during his visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) Dec. 2.

The award is the highest civilian honor given by DOD. It’s earned by DOD civilian employees whose “careers reflect exceptional devotion to duty and whose contributions to the efficiency, economy, or other improvements in DOD operations are of a significantly broad scope,” according to defense department officials.
 
The citation accompanying the award states that French is DOD’s foremost expert on the treatment of several conditions, including traumatic brain injury (TBI), who has “briefed White House National Security Council and cabinet-level officials, directors of federal agencies, members of Congress, DOD components and others that have directly led to the establishment of government legislation, policy and guidance.”
 
In addition, the citation indicates that French is recognized throughout the world as an expert in military TBI and serves as “the principal investigator of the largest longitudinal study for TBI across the spectrum of severity within the DOD.” This study has produced more than 180 publications and seven special journal issues.
 
“In 2019, Dr. French was recognized as having the most publications in the world literature around military mild TBI for the decade. His leadership and contributions have directly increased the Military Health System’s capacity to care for and thus save lives for beneficiaries affected by TBI,” the citation added.
 
Place said French’s efforts show that he “loves America’s sons and daughter, and is willing to put his blood, sweat and tears into the work” of their care and healing.
 
For his part, French quoted a noted psychologist Lev S. Vygotsky who said, “Through others we become ourselves.”
 
“What that means to me is that the success one has is really the product built by one’s family, friends, co-workers, and leaders. I’m deeply grateful to all of you for that,” French said to his NICoE colleagues in attendance at the award presentation.