Wash U and Webster U Grad Captain Daryl K. Daniels, MC, USN Appointed Commanding Officer of US Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay

Captain Daryl Daniels is currently the Commanding Officer, Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay, and Commander, Joint Medical Group, Joint Task Force Guantanamo. 

He is a native of Newton, MA, and graduated from Newton South High School in 1983. He majored in Biology, and completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Washington University, St. Louis, MO, in 1986. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from Yale University in 1991, graduating with honors.  He was commissioned in the Medical Corps of the U.S. Navy after completing of his residency in general
surgery at the University of New Mexico in 1996. 

CAPT Daniels’ first tour of duty was at U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa, Japan, serving first as Staff Surgeon and then as department head of General Surgery. During this tour he
deployed with Fleet Surgical Team 7 on the USS Belleau-Wood (LHA 3) participating in Operation Desert Fox.

In 2000, he reported to Naval Medical Center San Diego as Staff Surgeon. In 2001 he deployed to U.S. Central Command, Bahrain, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2004 he deployed to Al Asad, Iraq, with the 1st Force Service Support Group, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He served first as Company Commander, Alpha Surgical Company, then as the Company’s Chief of Professional Services. After his return to Naval Medical Center San Diego, he was named Acting Director, Ancillary Services. In April 2006, he became the Director, Surgical Services, overseeing and resourcing the activities of 15 clinical departments and eight residency programs. He also established the Comprehensive Combat and Complex Casualty Care program for West Coast wounded service members.

From 2009 - 2011, he served as Executive Officer, U.S. Naval Hospital Guam. He created the hospital’s first command business rules, streamlining clinical and administrative processes which resulted in improved access to care. In 2011, he was assigned as Fleet Surgeon, U.S. THIRD Fleet, homeported in San Diego. There he created a series of medical scenarios designed to train medical departments and group staff during group certification exercises. He was also the Combined Task Force Surgeon for exercise ‘Rim of the Pacific 2012,’ the world’s largest
international maritime exercise. As the task force surgeon, he was the senior medical officer for more than 25,000 participating service members from 22 nations.

CAPT Daniels assumed command of  U.S. Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay on May 10, 2013.

He has earned a Master of Arts degree in Health Services Management from Webster University, St. Louis, Mo., and a Master of Science degree in National Resource Strategy, from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington, D.C., graduating from both with distinction. Personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, three Meritorious Service Medals, and two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, as well as numerous other personal and unit awards.