Brig. Gen. (Dr.) John F. Hall is the Air National Guard Assistant to the Commander, Medical Readiness Alpha, San Antonio, Texas. He assists the Commander in generating a medical ready force for the Air Education and Training Command, Air Force Global Strike Command, Air Mobility Command, and Pacific Air Forces, as well as ensuring the medical force is ready to deliver health services support anywhere globally for humanitarian or combat operations.
Brigadier General Hall received his commission through the Health Professions Scholarship Program. In 1998, after 8 years in the US Navy, he joined the Arizona Air National Guard. He has since been assigned as Chief of Aerospace Medicine both stateside and while deployed to Southwest Asia, and Medical Group Commander. He is a Spine Consultant to the USAF Aeromedical Consult Service (ACS). He envisioned, designed, and continues to lead a USAF program to return Aircrew who have received Cervical Disc Replacement surgery, to unrestricted duty in high Gz aircraft. Prior to his current assignment, the Brigadier General was the Air National Guard State Air Surgeon for Arizona.
In his civilian role, he is a Board Certified, Fellowship Trained, Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon and Partner, at a large Orthopaedic Private Practice, performing Spine Surgery at a Level 1 Trauma Center. He has become a National Leader in Artificial Disc Replacement, Complex Deformity, and Anterior Lumbar Surgery. He leads a robust civilian training program that has trained hundreds of US and International Surgeons in these advanced techniques. Additionally, he has developed sector leading Spinal Implants and become a Medical-Legal Expert in Patent Infringement Law. He actively continues to publish in the scientific literature and is currently 1 of 4 Primary Investigators in a major $40 Million dollar, 40 Surgeon, 30 Center, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) study, for 2-level Cervical Disc Replacement.
EDUCATION
1988 Bachelor of Science in Zoology, California State University, Long Beach
1993 Doctorate of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
1994 Surgical Internship, Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals, Milwaukee
1995 U.S. Navy Flight Surgery Training, Naval Aerospace Medical Institute, Pensacola, Fla.
1999 U.S. Air Force Flight Surgery Training, Brooks Air Force Base (AFB), San Antonio, Texas
2004 Orthopedic Residency, Phoenix Integrated Orthopedic Residency Program, Phoenix, Ariz.
2006 Orthopedic Residency, University of California, San Diego
2007 Fellowship in Surgery of the Spine, Panorama Orthopedics and Spine, Golden, Colo.
2014 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
ASSIGNMENTS
1. February 1995 - January 1997, Station Flight Surgeon, Branch Medical Clinic, Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS), China Lake, Calif.
2. September 1996 - October 1996, Flight Surgeon, Development Team for US Navy's Next Generation G-Suit, Naval Air Development Center and Naval Air Warfare Center, Warminster, Pa.
3. November 1996 - December 1996, Flight Surgeon for STS 80, Shuttle Columbia, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards AFB, Calif.
4. January 1997 - October 1998, Squadron Flight Surgeon, Weapons Test Squadron, NAWS, China Lake, Calif.
5. November 1998 - March 2005, Wing Flight Surgeon,162nd Medical Group, 162nd Wing, Arizona Air National Guard (ANG), Tucson, Ariz.
6. March 2005 - April 2008, Flight Surgeon, 148th Fighter Squadron, 162nd Wing, Arizona ANG, Tucson, Ariz. (September 2007- November 2007, Chief of Aerospace Medicine, 447th Air Expeditionary Group, Sather AFB, Baghdad, Iraq)
7. April 2008 - December 2012, Wing Flight Surgeon, 162nd MDG, 162nd Wing, Arizona ANG, Tucson, Ariz. (April 2009, Head of Orthopaedics, Humanitarian Operation “Over the Horizon”, Jamaica), (August 2010, Vigilant Guard, Acting Chief of Aerospace Medicine, Hagatna, Guam)
8. March 2012 - August 2014, Chief of Aerospace Medicine, 162nd MDG, 162nd Wing, Arizona ANG, Tucson, Ariz.
9. December 2012 - August 2014, Residency Trained Flight Surgeon, 162nd MDG, 162nd Wing, Arizona ANG, Tucson, Ariz.
10. August 2014 - June 2017, Commander, 162nd MDG, 162nd Wing, Arizona ANG, Tucson, Ariz. (July 2015, Patriot Guard 2015, Medical Group Commander, CRTC Volk Field, Camp Douglas, Wis.)
11. June 2017 - November 2018, State Air Surgeon, Arizona National Guard Joint Force Headquarters, Phoenix, Ariz.
12. November 2018 - August 2022, ANG Assistant to the Command Surgeon PACAF, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Honolulu, Hawaii.
13. August 2022 - August 2024, State Air Surgeon, Arizona National Guard Joint Force Headquarters, Phoenix, Ariz.
14. September 2024 - Present, Air National Guard Assistant to Medical Readiness Command Alpha, Falls Church, Va.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: senior flight surgeon
Flight hours: more than 350
Aircraft flown: A-6, AH-1W, C-17A, C-130 E, CH-46, CH-53E, EA-6B, F-15D, F-16B/D/F, F/A-18B/D, HH-1N, KC-135E/T, SH-3, TA-4, TAV-8B, T-37B
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
Air and Space Achievement Medal
Meritorious Unit Award
Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1995 Surgeon General's Award, "Overall Number One Graduate for Leadership, Academics, and Flight Aptitude" Naval Aerospace Medical Institute
1996 - 1998 Lead Medical Officer for 3 Class A and 2 Class B Aircraft Mishaps
2005 - 2016 Team Physician for multiple teams: Soccer, Football, Hockey. All NCAA Division II or higher
2006 Chief Resident of the Year for all Specialties, University of California, San Diego
2008 Theodore Mars Award for the most outstanding Medical Group in the ANG
2018-present Designed and leads the USAF Study Group to return Cervical Artificial Disc recipients to Unrestricted Flying Class II duty in high Gz aircraft
2019-present Named as the only ANG Medical Officer to the Aeromedical Consult Service
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Second Lieutenant Ensign, USNR Feb. 22, 1990
First Lieutenant Lieutenant, USNR June 1, 1993
Captain Nov. 1, 1998
Major Oct. 1, 2000
Lieutenant Colonel Oct. 1, 2007
Colonel July 27, 2015
Brigadier General Sept. 1, 2024
(Current as of October 2025)