Notes on the establishment of the United States Army Special Warfare Center (Airborne) Surgeon's Office.

In the early 1960s, LTC Richard L. Coppedge, Medical Corps, expanded the functions of the Office of the Surgeon for the Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He drew upon the then recent Special Forces experience in Laos and the beginnings of Special Forces experience in Vietnam to reorient the Special Forces medical mission from guerilla warfare to counterinsurgency. With improved training, development of new equipment, coordination with civilian and military medical agencies, collection of medical intelligence data, and an increase of key staff within his office, he left a huge legacy for other Special Forces Surgeons to emulate.