As an athletic trainer and right hand man to the legendary Frank McCue and Joe Gieck for nearly a decade, Colonel Nelson spent the next 30 years as an Air Force flight surgeon, logging over 1,000 flying hours, treating countless airmen, and regularly traveling into active combat zones.

A triple Hoo, in 2018 Nelson received the “Hero of Military Medicine Award” for his leadership and commitment to military medicine, and treatment of our nation’s wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, and civilians.