Lieutenant Colonel DOUGLAS C. BOWERS

Lt. Col. Douglas C. Bowers is the commander of the 182nd Medical Group, 182nd Airlift Wing, in Peoria, Illinois. He leads a team of traditional and fulltime Illinois Air National Guardsmen comprised of both Guard Medical Unit and Detachment 1 members responsible for the medical readiness of the wing.

Lt. Col. Bowers began his military career in 1991 by enlisting in the Illinois Air National Guard as a medic and emergency medical technician. He deployed as a medic in 1988 for humanitarian missions with Joint Task Force – Bravo Medical Element in Honduras and Paraguay in and for state active duty in Southern Illinois during the Great Flood of 1993. Lt. Col. Bowers was commissioned in July 1996 as a nurse for the 182nd Medical Group. His duties within the medical group have included clinical nurse, nurse administrator and officer-in-charge of immunizations. Additionally, Lt. Col. Bowers was responsible for overseeing nursing services as well as conducting quality assurance checks on the unit’s medical records. He also served on the CBRNE Enhanced Response Force Package and was involved with CERFP deployments during the Global War on Terrorism.

In his civilian capacity, Lt. Col. Bowers is the manager of general surgery at a Level 1 trauma center non-profit hospital serving the Peoria metropolitan area community. His roles and responsibilities include the scheduling of surgical technician hours, yearly performance reviews on nurses and surgical technicians, mitigating discipline issues, projecting budgetary items, running a daily surgery schedule and creating positive working relationships with the unit’s multitude of surgeons. Prior to his current position, the lieutenant colonel was a nurse administrator for the 182nd Medical Group, 182nd Airlift Wing, in Peoria, Illinois.

EDUCATION
1991 Associate of Applied Science, Illinois Central College, East Peoria
1992 Aerospace Medical Service School, 3793rd Training Squadron, Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls, Texas
1995 Bachelor of Science, Nursing Science, Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing, Peoria, Ill.
2002 Expeditionary Medical Support (EMEDS), Air Education and Training Command, Camp Bullis, Texas
2004 Squadron Officer School, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2008 Center for Sustainment of Trauma and Skills (C-STARS), St. Louis University, St. Louis, Mo.
2021 Master of Science, Nursing Leadership, Saint Francis College of Nursing, Peoria, Ill.

ASSIGNMENTS
1. December 1992–July 1996, Medical Service Specialist, 182nd Medical Group, Peoria, Ill.
2. July 1996–August 1997, Clinical Nurse, 182nd Medical Group, Peoria, Ill.
3. August 1997–May 2003, Pediatric Nurse, 182nd Medical Group, Peoria, Ill.
4. May 2003–May 2010, Clinical Nurse, 182nd Medical Group, Peoria, Ill.
5. May 2010–November 2019, Nurse Administrator, 182nd Medical Group, Peoria, Ill.
6. November 2019–Present, Commander, 182nd Medical Group, Peoria, Ill.

MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Air Force Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters

STATE AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Illinois Military Medal of Merit
Illinois Military Long and Honorable Service Medal with eight oak leaf clusters
Illinois Military Attendance Ribbon with “14” device
Illinois State Active Duty Ribbon

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1994 Outstanding Airman of the Year, 182nd Medical Group
2014 Dr. John Wood Award for Surgical Excellence

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
National Guard Association of Illinois (lifetime member)

EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Feb. 1, 1996
First Lieutenant Feb. 1, 1998
Captain Aug. 5, 2000
Major Aug. 8, 2004
Lieutenant Colonel Sept. 10, 2010

(CURRENT AS OF JUNE 2022)