Colonel (Dr.) Erich W. Schroeder is the Commander and Military Treatment Facility (MTF) Director of the 6th Medical Group, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. As the Commander and MTF Director, he is responsible for providing world-class healthcare, surgical, dental and specialty services to a rapid global air refueling wing, two Joint combatant command headquarters, 31 mission partners and representatives from 45 international coalition nations with an operations and maintenance budget of 56 million dollars annually.
Colonel Schroeder oversees the Department of Defense's largest single-unit catchment area supporting more than 265,000 Active Duty and Reserve military personnel, military retirees and their families providing more than 155,000 clinic visits, 20,000 dental visits and 716,000 ancillary services annually. He accomplishes this with an assigned staff of 656 military, civilian and contract personnel operating primarily at MacDill’s Ambulatory Clinic and the Sabal Park Clinic some 18 miles from MacDill.
Additionally, the medical group provides diagnostic imaging support to eight Air Force Bases while providing surgical services at five civilian hospitals throughout the Greater Tampa Bay area. Furthermore, he oversees a 350,000 dollar Air Force Tier 1 Medical Simulation Center to meet training requirements of six medical units across the base, an Air Force’s Nurse Transition Training Program in partnership with Tampa’s only Level-1 Medical Trauma Center and the Air Force’s Saint Petersburg College Dental Hygiene Training Program.
EDUCATION
1993 BS in Biology, US Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1996 MS in Industrial Management, Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, Mo.
1998 Squadron Officer School (in Residence), Maxwell Air Force Base (AFB), Ala.
2005 Doctor of Medicine, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, Kan.
2006 Internal Medicine Internship, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kan.
2009 Master of Public Health, University of Texas-Houston, San Antonio Campus
2009 Air Command and Staff College (by Correspondence)
2010 Residency in Aerospace Medicine (RAM), United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM), Brooks City-Base, San Antonio, Texas (Board Certified)
2011 Residency in Occupational Medicine, USAFSAM, Brooks City-Base, San Antonio, Texas (Board Certified)
2015 American Association for Physician Leadership Certified Physician Executive (SDE equivalency)
2016 Air War College (by Correspondence)
ASSIGNMENTS
1. June 1993-March 1995, B-2 Munitions Accountable System Officer, 509th Maintenance Squadron, Whiteman Air Force Base (AFB), Mo.
2. April 1995-February 1996, B-2 Fabrication Flight Commander, 509th Maintenance Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
3. March 1996-February 1997, B-2 Sortie Generation Flight Commander, 393rd Bomb Squadron, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
4. March 1997-May 1998, F-117 Sortie Support Flight Commander, Sortie Generation Flight Commander, then Squadron Maintenance Officer, 7th Fighter Training Squadron, Holloman AFB, N.M.
5. June 1998-May 1999, F-117 Sortie Generation Flight Commander, 8th Fighter Squadron, Holloman AFB, N.M.
6. June 1999-June 2001, Asst Professor of Aerospace Studies, Det 280, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kan.
7. July 2001-June 2005, Medical Student, Health Professions Scholarship Program, University of Kansas Medical School, Kansas City, Kan.
8. July 2005-June 2006, Internship, Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kan.
9. July 2006-June 2008, Flight Surgeon, 20th Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, La.
10. July 2008-June 2011, Residency of Aerospace Medicine, USAFSAM, Brooks City-Base, Texas
11. July 2011-June 2013, Chief of Aerospace Medicine, 509th Medical Group, Whiteman AFB, Mo.
12. July 2013-June 2016, United States Military Personnel Exchange Program to Australia, serving as Staff Officer 1, Aviation Medicine and Interoperability, Joint Health Command, Canberra, ACT, Australia
13. July 2016-June 2017, Commander, DATA MASKED Medical Unit
14. July 2017-June 2020, Commander, 673rd Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
15. July 2020-July 2022, Commander, 2nd Medical Group, Barksdale AFB, La.
16. July 2022-Present, Commander, 6th Medical Group, MacDill AFB, Fla.
OTHER OPPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE
1. March-May 1999: Deployed F-117A Squadron Maintenance Officer for Operation ALLIED FORCE, 8th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy
2. May-October 2007: Deployed Flight Surgeon in support of the Pacific Bomber presence, 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Chief Flight Surgeon
Flight Hours: 748
Aircraft Flown: T-1, C-5, T-6, C-12, T-38, B-52, UH-60, C-130, KC-135, BBJ, CL-604, BE1900C
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Legion of Merit Medal
Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf
Clusters Air Force Achievement Medal
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with four Oak Leaf Clusters
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Kosovo Campaign Medal with one Bronze Star Device
Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters
Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
2nd Lieutenant June 2, 1993
1st Lieutenant June 2, 1995
Captain June 2, 1997
2nd Lieutenant (Inactive reserve) Aug 10, 2001
Captain May 27, 2005
Major May 27, 2007
Lieutenant Colonel May 27, 2013
Colonel May 31, 2018
(Current as of July 2022)