Donald F. Thompson, Senior Medical and Public Health Program Director

703-993-8005
dthompss@gmu.edu

Donald F. Thompson is the Senior Medical and Public Health Program Director in the Center for Infrastructure Protection at the George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, Virginia, where he is engaged in policy analyses and developing recommendations for complex domestic and global health security issues.

Dr. Thompson recently retired as a Colonel after a 27 year career in the United States Air Force.  His recent assignments included the Office of the Inspector General, Department of Defense, where he evaluated U.S. Government efforts in rebuilding effective security forces in Afghanistan and Iraq; and a posting as Special Assistant for Biological Defense in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction Policy, where he provided expert combating WMD policy-related advice related to the prevention of and response to chemical, biological, and other WMD, with a particular focus on early disease detection and foreign consequence management. 

Dr. Thompson previously served as Command Surgeon, Combined Forces Command – Afghanistan and Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan, where he provided strategic direction and operational oversight of all military and civilian health sector reconstruction and development activities in Afghanistan under the control of the United States military.  He worked closely with senior Government of Afghanistan officials and with the NATO International Security Assistance Force.  In his previous assignments at the National Defense University and the Office of the Command Surgeon, North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command, he worked on medically related homeland defense and security projects; including military medical strategy, domestic and international crisis management, and civil-military medical operations; and worked with Federal, state and local agencies to enhance preparedness for preventing and responding to WMD terrorist attacks.  He built foundational relationships with Mexican public health, emergency response, and military personnel at the Federal and US – Mexico border levels.  He has testified before Congress on these subjects.

Dr. Thompson was a volunteer firefighter and paramedic in the Kensington Volunteer Fire Department in Montgomery County, Maryland, and attended the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, where he received his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1986.  He is board certified in both Family Medicine and General Preventive Medicine and Public Health, and holds a Masters Degree in Public Health and Tropical Medicine from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and a Masters Degree in Cross-cultural Ministries from Dallas Theological Seminary.  He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Medicine and the American College of Preventive Medicine, and is fluent in Spanish and Italian.

Dr. Thompson was awarded the Ghazi Mir Bacha Khan High Medal in March, 2007, by Afghan President Hamid Karzai for service contributing to security and stability in Afghanistan.  He also holds the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star Medal. 

Publications:

Donald Thompson, et al., "Bancroftian Filariasis Distribution and Diurnal Temperature Differences in the Southern Nile Delta," Emerging Infectious Diseases, July-September 1996, 2(3):234-235.

Burnham, Bruce R, Thompson, Donald F., and Jackson, William G., "Positive Predictive Value of a Health History Questionnaire," Military Medicine, 167(8):639-642, 2002.

Kimberly M. Thompson, Robert E. Armstrong, and Donald F. Thompson, "Bayes, Bugs, and Bioterrorists: Lessons Learned from the Anthrax Attacks," Defense and Technology Paper #14, National Defense University: Washington, DC, April 2005.

Donald F. Thompson, Joel L. Swerdlow, and Cheryl A. Loeb, "The Bug Stops Here: Force Protection and Emerging Infectious Diseases," Defense and Technology Paper #21, National Defense University: Washington, DC, November 2005.

Donald F. Thompson, "Terrorism and Domestic Response: Can DOD Help Get It Right?" Joint Force Quarterly, National Defense University Press: Washington, DC, Issue 40, 1^st quarter 2006.

Donald F. Thompson and Renata P. Louie, "Cooperative Crisis Management and Avian Influenza: A Risk Assessment Guide for International Contagious Disease Prevention and Risk Mitigation," Defense and Technology Paper #29, National Defense University: Washington, DC, March 2006.

Martin Bricknell and Donald F. Thompson, "Roles for International Military Medical Services in Stability Operations (Security Sector Reform)," Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps 153, no 2 (September 2007), 95-98.

Donald F. Thompson, "The Role of Medical Diplomacy in Stabilizing Afghanistan," Defense Horizons #63, National Defense University: Washington, DC, May 2008.

"Assessment of Arms, Ammunition, and Explosives Control and Accountability; Security Assistance; and Sustainment for the Afghan National Security Forces (Medical Sustainability)," Special Plans & Operations, Inspector General, Department of Defense: Washington, DC, Report No. SPO-2009-001, October 24, 2008.

"Report on the Assessment of Arms, Ammunition, and Explosives Accountability and Control; Security Assistance; and Logistics Sustainment for the Iraq Security Forces (Medical Sustainability)," Special Plans & Operations, Inspector General, Department of Defense: Washington, DC, Report No. SPO-2009-002, December 19, 2008.

Martin C. M. Bricknell and Donald F. Thompson, "Military Medical Assistance to Security Sector Reform," in A. Hopperus Buma et al. (eds), Conflict and Catastrophe Medicine, Second ed. Springer-Verlag: London, 2009.

Martin C. M. Bricknell and D. F. Thompson, "Ministry Overlaps Within Health Sectors," in A. Hopperus Buma et al. (eds), Conflict and Catastrophe Medicine, Second ed. Springer-Verlag: London, 2009.