Lieutenant Colonel, Senior Flight Surgeon and Chief of Aerospace Medicine (sgp) for the 129th Medical Group, 129th Rescue Wing, Moffett FAF, California.

Thomas enlisted in the United States Coast Guard in February, 1975. He served as an engineer aboard a USCG 44 foot MLB (Motor Lifeboat), and earned his aircrew wings as a flight engineer aboard USCG HH-3F and HH52A Rescue Helicopters, flying over 1000 hours with several hundred live hoists. He was released from active duty in 1979 to attend college, graduating from the Univesity of California, Berkeley (1981, A.B. Zoology) and Rutgers Medical School (1985, M.D.) He completed a residency in Emergency Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1988.

In 1997, having already served 2 years as a flight surgeon for the USCG in California, Lieutenant Colonel Gross was commissioned as a flight surgeon in the newly organized Squadron Medical Element (SME) of the 129th Rescue Squadron of the California Air National Guard. He has participated in numerous rescues, most recently an HH60 rescue 300 miles offshore for a merchant mariner with a heart attack. He participated in Operation Northern Watch (ONW), flying as an aircrewmember on over fifty Combat missions. In March, 2003, he participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom, as a member of the 129th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron (ERQS), and flew in the 129th RQS’ first CSAR mission under combat conditions in Bashur, Iraq. In 2005, he was transferred to his current assignment in the 129th Medical Group. His most recent deployment was as the Director of the Emergency Department at the EMEDS Belle Chasse (LA) secondary to the Katrina disaster.

In his civilian profession, he is an emergency physician and firefighter for the Novato (CA) Fire Protection District. For his participation in rescues performed during the 2005 New Years’ Eve floods, he has beeen awarded the Novato Fire District Medal of Merit and the Marin County Medal of Valor.