My Why: Angel Lugo

Angel L. Lugo is a retired U.S. Army Colonel who served 30 years on active duty as a Healthcare Operations/Administration Officer. Prior to retiring in 2012, he served as Chief of Staff/COO for the Army’s Northern Regional Medical Command and Walter Reed Army Medical Center where he provided staff oversight of the Army’s largest regional health system including the Army’s largest Wounded Warrior population. Prior to that, he was the first Chief of Staff/COO for the Defense Center of Excellence for Psych Health and TBI where he established a joint staff organization focused on policies, procedures, guidelines, research, and tools in Psych Health & TBI to support Warriors and their Families. After his retirement, Angel is founder & CEO of his own Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Lugo Vantage Solutions LLC, providing consulting services within the federal health sector specializing in military and Veterans health management. He also provides no cost job placement assistance to Veterans in transition. Angel’s career has been about serving our nation alongside Soldiers and supporting Warriors. He joined the military to serve and provide for his Family but stayed because the military is a unique Family of those dedicated to serve and protect our nation. That is why he is both excited and humbled to join the Warriors Heart Team as CSO and lead its mission to heal and support Warriors to bring them home.

In addition to the capstone Chief of Staff positions, COL (Ret) Lugo held many command and staff positions including: Director, DoD Executive Agencies (Medical), Office of The Surgeon General (OTSG), U.S. Army, Falls Church, VA; Hospital Commander, 212th MASH and CSH, Miesau, Germany; Commander, Task Force 212th MASH (Pakistan Earthquake Relief), Pakistan; Program Director, Medical Reengineering Initiative (MRI), OTSG; Battalion Commander, 61st Area Support Medical Battalion (ASMB), Fort Hood, Texas; Chief, Medical Operations, XVIII Airborne Corps and Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, G-3, 44th Medical Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Executive Officer, 61st ASMB, Fort Hood, Texas; Deputy Chief of Plans, Operations, Training, & Security Division and Plans Officer, 97th General Hospital/Frankfurt Medical Center, Germany; Commander, C Company (Medical), 45th Forward Support Battalion, 3rd Armored Division, Germany and South West Asia (Persian Gulf War); Administrative Officer, Fort Dix MEDDAC and Executive Officer and Commander, 556th Medical Company (Ground Ambulance), Fort Dix, New Jersey; and Operations Officer, S-3/PAD, 2nd MASH and Med Platoon Leader, 2/69th Armor Battalion, Ft. Benning, Georgia.

He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Microbiology and Hispanic Literature from Rutgers College in New Jersey and received his commission from Rutgers University ROTC Program as a Distinguished Military Graduate in 1982. He earned a Master of Public Administration (Health Services focus) at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, Missouri. COL (Ret) Lugo is also a graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff College and the Army War College Fellowship at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He is a certified joint medical planner and trained as a Project Management Professional (PMP). He is Board Certified in Healthcare Management and is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Awards and decorations that COL (Ret) Lugo earned include the Bronze Star Medal, Valorous Unit Award, Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (7th award), Army Commendation Medal (4th award), Army Achievement Medal (5th award), Humanitarian Service Medal, U.S. Public Health Service Unit Commendation, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Expert Field Medical Badge, Army Staff Identification Badge, Staff Identification Badge – Department of Health and Human Services, and Order of Military Medical Merit Medallion.

My Why:

One of the most significant reasons why I stayed in the military occurred when I was a young, 26 year old First Lieutenant and my Army Family rallied to support and take care of me during my darkest days as a widow and single parent. At that time, I was married and had a 4 year old son when my then wife unexpectedly and tragically died. During the ensuing period, The Army quickly supported me and my son, immediately moved us closer to my parents, and provided us time to grieve and begin healing. The Army supported my Family from those most painful days, months, and years through a very successful career and 30 years of service to our nation. As a Warrior, I joined the U.S. Army for the welfare, job security, and well-being of my Family and I stayed serving for 30 years to give back because of the support & committed service of the Army Family.