Russell Adam Burnham, is an American business owner and U.S. Army veteran. He is the great-grandson of Frederick Russell Burnham, recipient of the Distinguished Service Order, and famous American scout and world-traveling adventurer who helped inspire the founding of the international Scouting Movement. Burnham was recognized as the 2003 U.S. Army Soldier of the Year, 2007 U.S. Army Medical CorpsNCO of the Year, and is an Eagle Scout.
Military career
Burnham is an active duty Army officer currently serving as a Physician Assistant in an Attack Reconnaissance Battalion at Fort Hood. As a prior enlisted Soldier, he rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant before receiving a commission in the Army Medical Specialist Corps
U.S. Army Soldier of the Year
Burnham was serving as an Evacuation Specialist with HHC, 1/5 Infantry Battalion at Fort Lewis, Washington, when he decided to compete in the preliminary competitions for the 2003 Soldier of the Year. After winning his battalion's honor, he went on to win the competition for 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, and later for I Corps and Fort Lewis. He then competed in, and won, the U.S. Army Forces Command Soldier of the Year competition, which afforded him the opportunity to represent the largest command in the Army at the Soldier of the Year competition. Burnham won the competition, consisting of several grueling mental and physical tasks, and was reassigned to Washington, DC to serve as an ambassador for the Army. For the next year, Burnham was stationed at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and he represented the Army at events such as: the Association of the United States Army National Convention, the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention, the NASCARDaytona 500, and a Washington Redskins football game. He also joined comedian, now Senator, Al Franken on a USO tour of Iraq and Afghanistan in December 2003.
In 2005 Burnham was promoted to Sergeant and reassigned to Fort Sam Houston. In 2007 Staff Sergeant Burnham won the title of NCO of the Year for the U.S. Army Medical Corps. Representing MEDCOM, he competed against NCOs from all 13 major commands in the U.S. Army Best Warrior Competition, but was unable to duplicate his victory from 2003.
Physician Assistant
Based on the board results from summer 2007 and after completing prerequisite courses at San Antonio College, Burnham attended the Interservice Physician Assistant Program at Fort Sam Houston beginning in April 2009, and graduated in Hawaii at Tripler Army Medical Center in 2011. Then he received his captain's commission, moving to Fort Drum and assuming his first physician assistant role with 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
Awards and decorations
Burnham's decorations and badges include the following:
Other awards
1995 Eagle Scout
2003 U.S. Army Soldier of the Year
American Legion 2004 Military Spirit of Service award for his work with the Boy Scouts while stationed at Fort Belvoir.
Burnham is a descendant of Thomas Burnham of Hartford, Connecticut, the first American ancestor of a large number of Burnhams. The descendants of Thomas Burnham have been noted in every American war, including the French and Indian war.
Frederick Russell Burnham II - U.S. Army communications, fought in Vietnam; served as a troop leader in the Boy Scouts of America.
Business Owner
Burnham is the Founder and President of Front Line Mobile Health, a Texas based health care business providing services to fire departments nation-wide. Additionally, he is the co-founder of Fit 4 Duty, which provides organizational needs assessments and mental health screenings for businesses and public safety departments.
