Colonel Jose Florante J Leyson, US ARMY

 Operations Iraq Freedom

 

 

 This is a continuing series of the 
Filipino-American who participated in Operation Freedom Iraq.
 
 
Colonel Jose Florante J Leyson, MD, outgoing commander of 4219th US 
Army Hospital (Reserve Command) has recently returned from Camp Doha, the US Army Base Kuwait City. His medical unit supported the successful 
Operation Iraqi Freedom. He participated in the first Persian Gulf war as well, Dessert Storm. Col. Leyson served as Chief of Urology in the 801st 
Combat support hospital that treated urological injuries and diseases of the liberating Coalition Forces who advanced from Southern Iraq. He also 
Taught minor emergency urological procedures and proper suturing techniques to the EMT/Nursing personnel during the military operations.
 
Army Medics have come a long way from the crude surgical procedures you 
might have been exposed to in movies like Dancing with Wolves and Gangs 
of New York.  And it certainly is not the entertaining comedy of the 
M*A*S*H. Rather, it is modern, state-of-the-art, complete with the latest 
Expertise on treatment to exposures Atomic, Biological, and Chemical weapons. They are ready to save not only life but also limbs that might have otherwise been amputated, as during the Civil War era.  As a commanding officer of US Army Hospital, Leyson might be the next Filipino Officer vying for the flag rank similar to the now retired Admiral Mariano, also from the New Jersey area.
 
Upon his return, he will resume his previous position as Chief of 
Urology at the Hospital Center of Essex County and Director of Neuro/Urology SCI service at the Dept of Veterans Affairs, East Orange NJ.  He is board certified in Urology, Sexology and Forensic Medicine.  He was just recently appointed Director of Urology at the Jersey City Medical Center.  He has written and presented close to 90 articles and research presentations both nationally and internationally. He has edited and co-authored three books in Urology and Sexology including the Sexual Rehabilitation of the Spinal Cord Injury Patients (1991) and his fourth book, the 2nd edition International Encyclopedia of Sexuality to be published in the fall 2003. 
He is consultant and peer reviewer for three medical journals including 
the AMA.
 
He was among the top 10 who passed the Philippine Medical Board Exam in 
1970 after graduating from Cebu Medical School. Among his achievements:
 
Only Filipino Surgeon in NJ Medical Advisory
 
First Filipino surgeon to become Associate Clinical Professor of 
Surgery/Urology UMDNJ NJ Medical School in Newark.
 
Filipino Pioneer in Sex Therapy and certified in three Medical Boards, 
specialties: Urology, Sexology, and Forensic Medicine.
 
Only Filipino Surgeon who commanded 4 types of Reserve Military 
Hospital units of the US Army. He is nominated for Brig. General US Army 
reserved in 2004.
 
Information about the 4219th US Army Hospital.
 
The mission of the 4219th U.S. Army Hospital is to assist the North 
Atlantic Regional Medical Command in satisfying the expansion 
Requirements of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in accordance with the current U.S. 
Army Medical Command Mobilization Plan; provide a blood donor center to 
Walter Reed Army Medical Center; and provide veterinary services to the 
Northeast District, Veterinary Command, Fort Monmouth, NJ.
 
More than 100 4219th U.S. Army Hospital nurses, doctors and medics 
negotiated the Fort Dix obstacle course carrying stretchers, repelled 
down the course tower and donned protective gear on the Leadership Reaction 
Course June 3 and 4.
 
"The obstacle course also mimics urban terrain, in which the medics and 
nurses may have to operate someday," pointed out 4219th Commander COL 
Jose Leyson. As CPT Van Lane, project officer, said, "When people get 
injured on the battlefield there are bullets flying, the terrain is not nice, 
there are various obstacles that need to be negotiated." On the land 
navigation course, medics may have to search for a MEDEVAC landing zone in combat, 
with nothing to go by but a map and compass.
 
LT Angel Feliciano, a 4219th nurse, said, "Right now we don't need 
(land navigation skills). But let's say you're in a medical field unit and 
they kill everybody. What are you going to do, stand there and cry? You've 
got to take action. You've got to move on."
 

Nestor Palugod Enriquez