| Rhonda Cornum | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 31, 1954 Dayton, Ohio |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1978-present |
| Rank | Brigadier General (BG) |
U.S. Army Brigadier General Rhonda Cornum, Ph.D., M.D. is the Director of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness in the Army G-3/5/7.[1]
As a flight surgeon with the 229th Attack Helicopter Regiment, then-Major Cornum was aboard a Black Hawk helicopter on a search and rescue mission, looking for a downed F-16 pilot, during the Gulf War.[2] When the helicopter was shot down on February 27, 1991, she suffered two broken arms, a broken finger, a gunshot wound in the back, and other injuries.[2] She was captured and molested by one of her Iraqi captors.[2][3]
She later co-wrote a book about her experiences, She Went to War: the Rhonda Cornum Story (ISBN 0891415076), with Peter Copeland.
Her decorations include the Legion of Merit (with two oak leaf clusters), Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal (with four oak leaf clusters), Purple Heart, Air Medal, and POW Medal.[1]