COL (Dr.) Blackbourne has been the Commander of the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research since July 2008. Prior to this position, he had been assigned to the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research at Brooke Army Medical Center as the assistance chief of the Burn Center and assistant chief of the Trauma Service. During this assignment, COL Blackbourne deployed once to Operation Enduring Freedom and twice to Operation Iraqi Freedom in support of the Special Operations Command. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Biology in 1986 from the University of Virginia. Upon completion of his undergraduate studies, he attended medical school at the University of Virginia, graduating in 1990. From 1990 to 1997, COL Blackbourne was a general surgery resident at the University of Virginia. During this residency period, he participated in two years of research supported by the National Institutes of Health. Following his residency training in 1997, COL Blackbourne received a direct appointment as a Medical Corps officer in the U.S. Army. His first assignment as a Medical Corps officer was as the chief of general surgery at Fort Eustis, Virginia. COL Blackbourne was assigned commander, 274th Forward Surgical Team (Airborne), from 1999-2001. In 2001 and 2002 he deployed in support of the Special Operations Command as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. After finishing his deployment, COL Blackbourne completed a fellowship in surgical critical care and trauma surgery at the University of Miami. In the fall of 2004 he once again deployed, this time as chief of surgery at the combat support hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. COL Blackbourne's many military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Combat Medical Badge, the Combat Action Badge and the Parachutists Badge. He is board certified in general surgery and surgical critical care.