Combat flight surgeon on leadership, loss and community – Tango Alpha Lima

Within two weeks of deploying to Iraq in 2007, Dr. Josh McConkey’s life changed. Eight helicopters were shot down and a fellow flight surgeon was killed. This week, the combat flight surgeon, Air Force Reserve colonel and emergency physician joins Tango Alpha Lima to talk about adapting under fire, the difficult transition to the civilian ER, and why he wrote the leadership book “Be the Weight Behind the Spear.” McConkey explains why those at the tip of the spear never succeed alone, and why families, mentors, coaches and communities matter. He also shares his message on mental health: you don’t have to carry it by yourself. Also in this episode, co-hosts Stacy Pearsall, Adam Marr and Joe Worley discuss a July 2026 GAO report on quality care and the restructuring of Air Force medicine to focus on operational missions.Your stories. Your service. Your community. This is Tango Alpha Lima. Military Health Care: Clinical Quality Management in Operational Settings Like Field Hospitals Veterans Health Care: Training and Improved Oversight Needed for Reviewing and Reporting Providers with Clinical Care Concerns