Backed by the precision drill teams of the Old Guard of the 3rd Infantry Division at Conmy Hall, Fort Myer, Maj. Gen. Joseph Caravalho, Joint Staff Surgeon at the Pentagon, holds his retirement certificate. Congratulating him is Maj. Gen. Michael L....

Mrs. Lorraine Caravalho (right) hosted a retirement dinner for Maj. Gen. Joseph Caravalho. Son Joe, and Joe's wife Christine Pellegrini, and many other family members and friends said thank you and see you again soon. Caravalho's last posting was ...

"I don't take myself very seriously, but I take our work very seriously," Maj. Gen. Joseph Caravalho said. "We are all patriots. I am so proud to be part of this. Our young folks volunteer to serve our nation. That's what I'm going to miss--being in the same uniform as guys who continue to defend our nation. The guys who are in harm's way right now."

That was the remark Caravalho used to wrap up the final day of his 38 years in uniform.

It began with the precision drill teams of the Old Guard of the 3rd Infantry Division at Conmy Hall, Fort Myer. It ended at the opposite end of the military spectrum--a Hawaiian shirt-themed retirement dinner and roast at the Officers Club on Fort Belvoir hosted by Lorraine Caravalho. All on the last day of August.

Caravalho's last posting was Joint Staff Surgeon at the Pentagon where he served as the chief medical advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, providing best medical advice to the Chairman, the Joint Staff, and combatant commanders.

Caravalho was especially qualified to advise the Joint Chiefs. During his career, he was a staff internist, nuclear medicine physician, and cardiologist. His operational medical experience ranged from providing medical expertise to the 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Okinawa, Japan; the 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.; U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg; and Health Affairs, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg.

Before becoming the Joint Staff Surgeon, he was the Army Deputy Surgeon General and Deputy Commanding General (Support) of the U.S. Army Medical Command. He served as Chief of Cardiology at Tripler Army Medical Center, and as Deputy Commander for Clinical Services at Womack Army Medical Center.

Caravalho commanded the 28th Combat Support Hospital and the 44th Medical Command (Rear) (Provisional), both at Fort Bragg. He deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, serving as the Surgeon for both Multi-National Force-Iraq and Multi-National Corps-Iraq.

He also served as the commanding general for Southern Regional Medical Command and Brooke Army Medical Center; Northern Regional Medical Command; and the Army Medical Research and Materiel Command and Fort Detrick.

Caravalho will take his impressive resume to Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine where he will be president and chief executive officer.

His commitment and passion for both medicine and wearing the uniform in service of his country earned the praise and respect of his subordinates.

He wasn't always easy to serve under. Caravalho gained notoriety among his subordinates for his insistent on proper grammar, the use of his daily vocabulary word, and the requirement to refer to drugs by their generic rather than brand name.

For Caravalho, however, the insistence on uniformed etiquette and being a hard taskmaster was actually an insistence on professional integrity and commitment to duty.

Quotes from the evening's speakers ran the gamut from serious to hilarious, but all were in good taste.

Comments included, "you wanted to make us better officers and make us better people","he was spectacular when in command", and "we were blessed to have you in the MEDCOM and in military medicine."

Son Joe Caravalho described his father as kind, patient, and generous.

The dinner and roast provided the chance for a final tribute to a leader on the last day he wears the uniform. We roast people because we respect and admire them, because we learned from them, and because we shared an experience with them that others can't share. Laughter adds an exclamation point to the thank you's.

Caravalho summed up both his career, the critical role of leaders and mentors, and the special relationship those in uniform.

"I am deeply grateful to those who have helped me become the officer, the soldier, the leader that I am now. I try my very best to help those who were a lap behind me--that they can be future and current leaders--and hope they do the same for those who follow them.

"I am grateful for being a soldier, and I will be a soldier for life," he concluded.