LTC (ret) George Harrington was born to an Army family often times saying that he was ‘issued to his father ‘ at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland. After a short stay there the family was off to Italy where his father was assigned until 1960. The family moved back to America when George was 5 years old and because of his father’s training in nuclear weaponry the family was assigned to Sandia Base, Albuquerque New Mexico. He grew up in the Princess Jean neighborhood near the base. Aside from a cameo appearance on the local ‘Dick Bills’ children’s TV show and seeing JFK as he drove through town to stay at the Sheraton Western Skies motel his ‘wonder years’ were uneventful. The family left the area for a brief time but they returned when his father went to Vietnam. Dr Harrington went to Madison Junior High School and Sandia High School. He was appointed to The Military Academy at West Point, NY by the honorable Rep. Manuel Lujan jr. becoming the first Comanche Indian to graduate from the military academy in 1977. After graduation he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the infantry. He was assigned to units stationed in Hawaii and Korea. He was accepted to the University of New Mexico School of Medicine graduating in 1983. He did a transitional (family practice) internship at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center, Denver Colorado. When he finished he was assigned to Fort Huachuca, AZ. It was here that he became a member of the locally famous cavalry unit ‘B troop’. Riding since the age of 6, then Captain Harrington fit right in as the troop ‘Doc’. After two years in General Practice Dr. Harrington started his residency at Brook Army Medical Center, home of the ‘world famous’ burn unit. He completed his residency in 1990 just at the start of Desert Storm. He spent 8 months in Saudi Arabia. He treated soldiers and civilians but was most affected by the refugee children’s ward where he spent his time. He received a Bronze Star for his work in the Gulf. He attended a Pediatric Orthopaedic Fellowship at the Children’s Hospital, Denver Colorado 1993-94 and was stationed at Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Fort Gordon GA were he became Chief of the Orthopaedic Service. He was transferred back to Brooke Army Medical Center and received additional training in spine surgery. He became the Associate Program Director for the Army’s largest orthopaedic residency program, Chief of Pediatric Orthopaedics and Chief of the Spine Trauma Service (a combined orthopaedic and neurosurgery service) for Brooke, a level one trauma center. Prior to retirement he achieved the academic rank of Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery. He was the first Pediatric Orthopaedic surgeon in the service to start consultant visits to Tegucigalpa Honduras developing a close working relationship with Hospital Esquela, the country’s university training program. He was the only Native American in the U.S. on an orthopaedic teaching staff. He has a wife and three children age 8 to 15 years of age. He has extensive experience in orthopaedic surgery of children to include surgery for spinal deformity. Prior to his retirement he was the Consultant to the Great Plains Medial region for Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery for the Army.

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