Biography

COL (Ret) Gerlinger is a distinguished orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee reconstruction and replacement. 

He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and earned his medical degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS). His training includes a Transitional Internship at Tripler Army Medical Center, Orthopaedic Surgery Residency at Madigan Army Medical Center, and a Fellowship in Adult Reconstruction at Rush University Medical Center. 

COL (Ret) Gerlinger’s military education includes the Army Medical Department Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, Army Flight Surgeon Course (Distinguished Honor Graduate), Navy Undersea Medicine Course, and Airborne and Air Assault School. He is also a graduate of the Command and General Staff College. 

His military deployments include Kosovo with Task Force Falcon, Operation Joint Guardian, and Afghanistan with the 274th Forward Surgical Team (Airborne) and the 936th Forward Surgical Team. He also participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom and served with the Norwegian Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan. 

His decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal, and several campaign medals. He has also received the Combat Medical Badge twice and multiple international parachutist badges. He is a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit and has been awarded the Surgeon General’s ‘A’ Proficiency Designator. 

COL (Ret) Gerlinger served as Program Director of the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium (SAUSHEC) Orthopaedic Surgery Residency from 2008 to 2013 and as Chief of Adult Reconstruction at San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC). SAMMC is the DoD’s only Level I Trauma Center. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and serves as an Associate Professor at USUHS. 

COL (Ret) Gerlinger is a Past President of the Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons and Program Director for the SOMOS/AAOS/OTA Disaster Response Course. He contributes to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and is a reviewer for Military Medicine and Journal of Arthroplasty. His research includes reporting on the success of joint replacements in returning soldiers to active duty, with 86% returning and 70% deploying to combat zones.