April 06, 2022

AsMA HQ Staff were deeply saddened to learn of the death in late March of Royce Moser, Jr., M.D., M.P.H., a Past President and Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA).

Dr. Moser was awarded the Louis H. Bauer Founders Award in 2020 for his lifetime of contributions to aerospace medicine education and research. He was a graduate of Harvard College (bachelor’s degree), Medical School (M.D.), and School of Public Health (M.P.H.). He served 23 years in the U.S. Air Force, with assignments as hospital commander; Chief, Aerospace Medicine, Office of the Command Surgeon, Aerospace Defense Command; Medical Officer, Special Weapons Defense, NORAD; Director, Base Medical Services, Phan Rang, Republic of Vietnam; and Chief, Clinical Sciences Division and Education Division—both at the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine. As a flight surgeon he accumulated over 2,000 hours of flight time, including 144 combat hours, in over 30 different types of aircraft. His final Air Force assignment was Commander, USAF School of Aerospace Medicine; at the time the school was a 900-member organization with over 80% of its $60 million budget (excluding military salaries) devoted to research and development.
   Through Dr. Moser’s efforts, significant advances were made in the training of U.S. Air Force (USAF) flight surgeons and in the management of military aviation research, particularly spatial disorientation, oxygen generation, acceleration, and radiation protection. He oversaw a research and development budget for critical areas of aviation medicine, and researched G loss of consciousness, the molecular sieve, radiation and chemical warfare protection, and hyperbaric medicine. He also published a seminal article in 1969 in Aerospace Medicine on spatial disorientation as a factor in accidents [Aerosp Med. 1969; 40(2):174–176]. This article led to the Secretary of Defense approving production of the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System.
   On retirement from the Air Force as a Colonel, Dr. Moser became a Professor at the University of Utah School of Medicine. In addition to serving as Deputy Director of the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, he served as Director of the Department’s Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health. During his time at the University, Dr. Moser also developed graduate courses in health and safety management and in aerospace medicine. He authored the textbook, Effective Management of Health and Safety Programs—A Practical Guide, now in its 3rd edition. He continued to teach in the management and aerospace medicine courses, the latter for U.S. Air Force Residents in Aerospace Medicine at the University as a Professor Emeritus after his retirement in 2008.
   Dr. Moser had been a member of the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) since 1965 and served as President and, later, as Parliamentarian of AsMA, was a Past President of the Harvard School of Public Health Alumni Association, was Selector of the International Academy of Aviation and Space Medicine, was past Vice President for Medical Affairs of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) and was Regent of the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM). He was a Fellow of the ACOEM and ACPM. He was also a Past President of the Society of U.S. Air Force Flight Surgeons.
   Dr. Moser received numerous awards throughout his distinguished career including: AsMA’s Moseley Award in 1981, the Lyster Award in 1988, the Liljencrantz Award in 2001, a President’s Citation in 2006, and the Gillingham Award in 2013; the Society of USAF Flight Surgeons’ Schafer Award, the ACOEM’s Robert A. Kehoe Award, the New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine’s Harriet Award, and the Western Occupational and Environmental Medicine Association’s Rutherford P. Johnstone Award for Outstanding Service to Occupational Medicine. He held two Legions of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, three Air Medals, and the Air Force Commendation Medal. He had lectured extensively and published 19 journal articles. He recently published a memoire, “The Wind Beneath My Wings,” which in many ways is an homage to his beloved wife, Lois. An online obituary can be found at https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/saltlaketribune/name/royce-moser-obituary?id=33949501.