By Ryan Clark
CHS Communications Director

On May 24, 2024, U.S. Army Recruiting Commander LTC Kourtney Logan relinquished command to LTC (and CHS alumna) Jessica Horine.

Horine, who earned a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies in 2008, is coming from Honolulu as the Chief of Operational Medicine for the U.S. Army Pacific Command.

She will now be heading to San Antonio where she will advance her career through the Army-Baylor MBA/MHA Program.

“I am incredibly honored and humbled to be selected to Command the 6th Medical Recruiting Battalion,” Horine said. “Currently, it is incredibly challenging to find and hire medical professionals in the civilian sector, and even more so for the military services. However, it is imperative that we find quality providers who feel called to serve.

“Our one million soldiers, who volunteer to fight and win our nation’s wars, deserve to know that if they get injured, they will receive the best care on the battlefield or in the hospital,” she continued. “This role has strategic value to our nation, and the weight of that responsibility is not lost on me.”

Horine, a native of Chicago, said her education in the College of Health Sciences helped prepare her for her current role. While at UK, she was able to travel to Swaziland for two medical rotations, as well as a spring medical mission trip to Mexico.

“My education at the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences prepared me for this role by ensuring that we were trained in critical thinking skills — not just memorization or treatment algorithms,” she said. “These critical thinking skills encompassed a holistic approach, taking into account the whole person and their situation, and its impact on their health. This approach has translated well into how I approach leadership decisions and challenges, taking the time to think through complex problems, considering the role of various factors in the situation, and understanding the second and third-order effects of decisions.”

Horine said the CHS education also emphasized a long-term approach to care.

“(It) easily translates into being able to think about the long-term objectives of a mission or leadership challenge,” she said. “These skills have allowed me to be a successful leader in the Army and provided opportunities to serve in increasingly higher positions of responsibility.”