It is with a heavy heart that the Department of Defense and the Military Health System bid farewell to Dr. Lynda Davis, who served for the past two-and-a-half years as deputy undersecretary of defense for Military Community and Family Policy. During her time in this position, Davis proved effective leadership and undertook a conscientious approach in her support of service members through indispensable policy, advocacy and oversight.
 
From July 2006 through September 2008, Davis served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, where she initiated the Navy’s Comprehensive Casualty Care program to systematically tackle the issues that affect wounded sailors, Marines and their families. In acknowledgement of her outstanding achievements, Davis was recruited as the Deputy Undersecretary for Military Community and Family Policy in October of 2008.
 
As the lead reformer of care management for wounded, ill and injured service members and their families, Davis worked side-by-side with the VA and other government, nonprofit and academic partners to ensure a thorough continuum of care, from recovery to reintegration. It was in this function that she envisioned, planned and implemented complementary DoD and VA recovery coordination programs which offer vast support to recuperating service members in a systematic, team-based approach.
 
Much to the appreciation of the wounded warrior community, she also instituted the National Resource Directory to complement this effort, putting a plethora of nonprofit resources at the fingertips of wounded, ill and injured service members all over the country.
 
Finally, with painstaking focus to increase the importance of family support, Davis activated the joint Family Support Advisory Council, the Family Readiness Committee, and the Quality of Life Executive Committee to ensure regular and visible collaboration on family readiness and resilience.
  
Davis’ work at DoD will have far-reaching effects for years to come as soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and their families benefit from the advantageous programs she established. With leaders like Dr. Lynda Davis, the Department of Defense and the Military Health System sits at the forefront of health care.

Click here to watch video of Dr. Davis talking about the challenges facing wounded, ill and injured services members and their families, and discusses the methods of support available to them.