Across the five-state WWAMI region, many medical students bring to their training not only academic excellence but also years of service in the US Armed Forces. This Veterans Day, UWSOM recognizes and celebrates some of these remarkable individuals whose dedication to service continues in the form of compassionate, community-focused care.
Brandi Carreau | Wyoming WWAMI
For Brandi Carreau, service and medicine have always gone hand in hand. Before beginning medical school through the Wyoming WWAMI program, she served as a Flight Medic in the Wyoming Air National Guard from 2019 to 2023, providing in-flight medical care for military and civilian patients alike. In 2023, she transitioned to the Wyoming Army National Guard, where she continues to serve as a Medical Officer.
Brandi credits her longtime mentor, Dr. Joseph Schaaf, a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel and physician, for inspiring her to pursue medicine. Her goal after graduation is to return to Wyoming to help improve access to high-quality healthcare in the state’s rural communities.
Daphne Ma | Wyoming WWAMI
For 15 years, Daphne Ma has served her country through both the Wyoming Air National Guard and the Wyoming Army National Guard, first as a Flight Medic and now in a clinical and operational role.
“My time as a flight medic shaped almost everything about the physician I’m becoming,” Daphne shares. “I cared for US, allied, and even enemy patients during aeromedical evacuations, often in high-stakes and unpredictable conditions. Those experiences pushed me to grow quickly, trust my training, and stay steady under pressure.”
Choosing the WWAMI program was a natural step for Daphne, who valued the opportunity to train close to her home communities. “WWAMI offered the chance to stay connected to my roots while receiving an excellent medical education,” she says. “Military service teaches you to put people first, work as a team, and stay calm in the moments that matter most. Those same values are at the heart of medicine.”
Jack Syring | Wyoming WWAMI
A US Navy veteran and Hospital Corpsman from 2013 to 2021, Jack Syring brings eight years of medical experience to his studies at Wyoming WWAMI.
“My time as a Corpsman directly inspired my desire to become a physician,” Jack says. “During my service, I was fortunate to experience a wide range of specialties—from austere field and combat medicine to labor and delivery. That curiosity and drive to understand medicine on a deeper level made becoming a physician a natural next step.”
Born and raised in Wyoming, Jack was drawn to WWAMI’s rural training focus. “I wanted to learn and train in the same kinds of communities that I aspire to one day serve,” he says. “Both medicine and the military are about service and teamwork—it’s about being part of something bigger than yourself and showing up when others need you most.”
Caleb Wagle | Alaska WWAMI
For Alaska WWAMI student and Second Lieutenant Caleb Wagle, medicine became his way of serving others. Commissioned in February 2024, Caleb followed in the footsteps of his Air Force family but charted his own course as a future Air Force physician.
“I was fortunate to join the military through medical school,” Caleb says. “It’s a privilege to support the health and wellbeing of those who served and are serving.”
His experiences have also shaped his approach to care. “Many of my colleagues who were previously enlisted shared how they sometimes felt unheard in medical settings,” he says. “That’s motivated me to become a physician who truly listens and respects each patient.”
Caleb adds, “We’re fortunate to live in a nation where military service is voluntary, and yet so many Americans choose to protect the freedoms we often take for granted.”
Alexander LeBlanc | Idaho WWAMI
For Idaho WWAMI student Alexander LeBlanc, service began with the US Navy Reserves, where he served as a Hospital Corpsman from 2013 to 2020. Attached to the USMC 4th Tank Battalion in Boise, he provided medical care in both clinical and field environments and deployed to Jordan in 2019, serving as medical chief for his unit and advisor to the Jordanian Quick Reaction Force.
“The most rewarding part of my service was getting to work alongside some of the best American patriots I’ve ever met,” Alexander says. After separating as a Hospital Corpsman Second Class (E-5), he pursued his medical education—and in July 2025, reenlisted in the Navy’s Health Services Collegiate Program, which will allow him to continue serving as a physician through residency and beyond.
“I learned that great leaders never fail to see the person behind the uniform,” he reflects. “I’m proud to continue that mission in medicine.”
Joseph Pham | Idaho WWAMI
As a first-generation American and US Air Force service member, Joseph Pham found in military service a sense of belonging he had long sought.
“When you’re in uniform, you’re recognized simply as an American Airman,” he shares. “That mutual respect gave me a sense of belonging I had been searching for all my life.”
Now, as a WWAMI medical student, Joseph brings that same perspective to his training—one grounded in empathy, respect, and inclusion.