Navy Rear Adm. Colin Chinn, command surgeon of U.S. Pacific Command, has been named director of research and development at the Defense Health Agency, according to a Defense Department statement published Friday.
His appointment to lead DHA’s R&D operations came five months after the agency reached full operational capability as a medical services support provider for combatant commands.
The Navy commissioned Chinn in 1981 and assigned him as a surgeon at the U.S. Marine Corps‘ 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Force Service Support Group and Forces Pacific.
Prior to his current role, he served as chief of the Navy’s Medical Corps and as director of the medical resources, plans and policy division at the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.
He also directed Tricare operations in the western and Pacific regions, supervising the program’s integrated healthcare delivery system across 31 countries.
Before that, he held leadership roles at various U.S. naval hospitals located in Washington, California, Texas and Japan.
Chinn holds a bachelor’s degree in public health, a master’s degree in epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University as well as a doctorate degree in medicine from the Medical College of Virginia.