MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Cmdr. Radhames Eliel Lizardo, a native of Arlington, Texas, serves as director of surgical services at U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Sigonella, Italy, where he leads surgical readiness efforts supporting forward-deployed forces across Europe. Lizardo's parents and brother live in Apopka, Florida.
Lizardo graduated from Burton Adventist Academy in Arlington, Texas, in 2001 before earning an additional degree from Southwestern Adventist University in 2004.
Growing up in an immigrant family in Texas shaped Lizardo’s approach to leadership and service.
“I learned discipline, resilience, and accountability from my parents, Radhames and Nidia,” Lizardo said. “They taught my brother Reny and me that opportunity is earned through effort. Hard work was expected, not optional. Those values shaped how I approach surgery, leadership and service. Challenges are problems to solve, not excuses to retreat.”
Lizardo later entered medical school through the Navy’s Health Professions Scholarship Program, a decision that shaped the trajectory of both the career and sense of purpose.
“I joined the Navy through the Health Professions Scholarship Program, which made medical school possible,” Lizardo said. “What began as a practical decision quickly became a commitment to something larger than myself. I realized that purpose is the difference between simply having a career and truly living a calling.”
Lizardo has served in the Navy for 17 years. Today, as a board-certified general surgeon, Lizardo oversees surgical services, operational planning and multidisciplinary teams responsible for ensuring medical readiness for forces operating throughout Europe.
Lizardo’s work spans patient care, leadership development, resource management and trauma training, including courses such as advanced trauma life support and the American College of Surgeons Stop The Bleed Program.
“Readiness is the foundation of deterrence, and medical readiness is part of that equation,” Lizardo said.
Lizardo’s work may be surprising to people back home.
“People often imagine dramatic surgeries with ocean waves rocking the ship,” Lizardo said. “In reality, my role does involve great operations, but also demands an ability to build systems, mentor leaders, manage large budgets, and ensure readiness. During peacetime, leadership in military medicine is as much about preparation as performance. Also, contrary to popular belief, you do not have to be a world-class swimmer to join the Navy.”
Lizardo witnessed Navy Medicine’s impact firsthand during a humanitarian engagement in Taiwan. Lizardo helped train local providers and military partners in hemorrhage control techniques designed to save lives in crisis situations.
“The goal was simple: transfer practical, lifesaving skills to a population that may one day need those skills in a very practical way,” Lizardo said. “Navy Medicine often operates at the intersection of capability and diplomacy, building partnerships while strengthening preparedness. Whether in combat or cooperation, the impact is measurable and immediate.”
Lizardo had some memorable experiences in the Navy, from being deployed to Afghanistan and being part of Operation Neptune Spear to serving as ship’s surgeon aboard USS Ronald Reagan, to supporting joint exercises in Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates, to leading medical battalion efforts in Hawaii. Lizardo was recently selected as the next officer in charge of Fleet Surgical Team 5.
One of the most meaningful moments of the career, however, occurred far from an operating room.
In 2021, as Afghanistan collapsed, a former interpreter who had supported U.S. forces reached out for help as his and his family’s lives were in immediate danger. Through a network of trusted military partners and coordinated efforts under rapidly shifting conditions, Lizardo helped facilitate their safe evacuation.
“It could read like a novel, coded messages, last-minute movements, a narrow window of escape, but at its core it was simple: we do not abandon those who stood with us,” Lizardo said. “Surgery saves lives in hours. That effort protected a life for generations. That remains my proudest accomplishment.”
According to Navy officials, NMRTC’s mission is to prepare service members to deploy in support of operational forces, deliver high-quality healthcare services and shape the future of military medicine through education, training and research.
USNMRTC Sigonella / Naval Hospital Sigonella is a community hospital located in the heart of the Mediterranean in Sicily, Italy. Comprised of a local satellite clinic and two branch health clinics located in Bahrain and Souda Bay, USNMRTC Sigonella’s staff of 387 serves approximately 8,500 active duty, family members, NATO members, retirees and other beneficiaries based on international collaborations and status of forces agreements.
Navy Medicine – represented by more than 44,000 highly-trained military and civilian health care professionals – provides enduring expeditionary medical support to the warfighter on, below and above the sea and ashore.
This year, the Navy is commemorating its contributions to the nation’s defense as the United States celebrates 250 years of independence.
According to Navy officials, for more than 250 years, the Navy has sailed the globe defending freedom and protecting prosperity.
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
“Wearing the uniform connects me to a much longer story than my own career,” Lizardo said. “The uniform reminds me daily that freedom is sustained not only by ideals, but by disciplined service. It is a privilege to contribute to that arc, even in a small way.”
The Navy has also provided opportunities few careers can match.
“The Navy has allowed me to travel to over 50 countries and work in environments ranging from ships to field hospitals,” Lizardo said. “There are not many professions where you can operate in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in the morning and watch F-35s flight operations from the deck of an aircraft carrier that afternoon. The experience shapes not only your resume but your character.”
Liardi said Navy Medicine’s unique capabilities set it apart from civilian health care.
“Navy Medicine is mission-centered,” Lizardo said. “The focus is readiness, service, and collective security rather than individual gain. We care for patients while ensuring operational capability. That dual responsibility defines military medicine.”
Lizardo encouraged others to consider military service, even if only for a single tour.
“The military provides unmatched leadership experience, resilience and growth,” Lizardo said. “You will be challenged in ways that build wisdom, and you will make friends who become part of your life story.”
Lizardo is grateful for those who supported the journey in the military.
“It has been a thoroughly rewarding career so far, and any success I have achieved is rooted in the support of my family, the steady partnership of my wife Sara, flexibility from my children, Alexander and Marcus, my faith in God, and a belief in the enduring ideals of this nation,” Lizardo said.
Lizardo graduated from Burton Adventist Academy in Arlington, Texas, in 2001 before earning an additional degree from Southwestern Adventist University in 2004.
Growing up in an immigrant family in Texas shaped Lizardo’s approach to leadership and service.
“I learned discipline, resilience, and accountability from my parents, Radhames and Nidia,” Lizardo said. “They taught my brother Reny and me that opportunity is earned through effort. Hard work was expected, not optional. Those values shaped how I approach surgery, leadership and service. Challenges are problems to solve, not excuses to retreat.”
Lizardo later entered medical school through the Navy’s Health Professions Scholarship Program, a decision that shaped the trajectory of both the career and sense of purpose.
“I joined the Navy through the Health Professions Scholarship Program, which made medical school possible,” Lizardo said. “What began as a practical decision quickly became a commitment to something larger than myself. I realized that purpose is the difference between simply having a career and truly living a calling.”
Lizardo has served in the Navy for 17 years. Today, as a board-certified general surgeon, Lizardo oversees surgical services, operational planning and multidisciplinary teams responsible for ensuring medical readiness for forces operating throughout Europe.
Lizardo’s work spans patient care, leadership development, resource management and trauma training, including courses such as advanced trauma life support and the American College of Surgeons Stop The Bleed Program.
“Readiness is the foundation of deterrence, and medical readiness is part of that equation,” Lizardo said.
Lizardo’s work may be surprising to people back home.
“People often imagine dramatic surgeries with ocean waves rocking the ship,” Lizardo said. “In reality, my role does involve great operations, but also demands an ability to build systems, mentor leaders, manage large budgets, and ensure readiness. During peacetime, leadership in military medicine is as much about preparation as performance. Also, contrary to popular belief, you do not have to be a world-class swimmer to join the Navy.”
Lizardo witnessed Navy Medicine’s impact firsthand during a humanitarian engagement in Taiwan. Lizardo helped train local providers and military partners in hemorrhage control techniques designed to save lives in crisis situations.
“The goal was simple: transfer practical, lifesaving skills to a population that may one day need those skills in a very practical way,” Lizardo said. “Navy Medicine often operates at the intersection of capability and diplomacy, building partnerships while strengthening preparedness. Whether in combat or cooperation, the impact is measurable and immediate.”
Lizardo had some memorable experiences in the Navy, from being deployed to Afghanistan and being part of Operation Neptune Spear to serving as ship’s surgeon aboard USS Ronald Reagan, to supporting joint exercises in Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates, to leading medical battalion efforts in Hawaii. Lizardo was recently selected as the next officer in charge of Fleet Surgical Team 5.
One of the most meaningful moments of the career, however, occurred far from an operating room.
In 2021, as Afghanistan collapsed, a former interpreter who had supported U.S. forces reached out for help as his and his family’s lives were in immediate danger. Through a network of trusted military partners and coordinated efforts under rapidly shifting conditions, Lizardo helped facilitate their safe evacuation.
“It could read like a novel, coded messages, last-minute movements, a narrow window of escape, but at its core it was simple: we do not abandon those who stood with us,” Lizardo said. “Surgery saves lives in hours. That effort protected a life for generations. That remains my proudest accomplishment.”
According to Navy officials, NMRTC’s mission is to prepare service members to deploy in support of operational forces, deliver high-quality healthcare services and shape the future of military medicine through education, training and research.
USNMRTC Sigonella / Naval Hospital Sigonella is a community hospital located in the heart of the Mediterranean in Sicily, Italy. Comprised of a local satellite clinic and two branch health clinics located in Bahrain and Souda Bay, USNMRTC Sigonella’s staff of 387 serves approximately 8,500 active duty, family members, NATO members, retirees and other beneficiaries based on international collaborations and status of forces agreements.
Navy Medicine – represented by more than 44,000 highly-trained military and civilian health care professionals – provides enduring expeditionary medical support to the warfighter on, below and above the sea and ashore.
This year, the Navy is commemorating its contributions to the nation’s defense as the United States celebrates 250 years of independence.
According to Navy officials, for more than 250 years, the Navy has sailed the globe defending freedom and protecting prosperity.
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
“Wearing the uniform connects me to a much longer story than my own career,” Lizardo said. “The uniform reminds me daily that freedom is sustained not only by ideals, but by disciplined service. It is a privilege to contribute to that arc, even in a small way.”
The Navy has also provided opportunities few careers can match.
“The Navy has allowed me to travel to over 50 countries and work in environments ranging from ships to field hospitals,” Lizardo said. “There are not many professions where you can operate in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in the morning and watch F-35s flight operations from the deck of an aircraft carrier that afternoon. The experience shapes not only your resume but your character.”
Liardi said Navy Medicine’s unique capabilities set it apart from civilian health care.
“Navy Medicine is mission-centered,” Lizardo said. “The focus is readiness, service, and collective security rather than individual gain. We care for patients while ensuring operational capability. That dual responsibility defines military medicine.”
Lizardo encouraged others to consider military service, even if only for a single tour.
“The military provides unmatched leadership experience, resilience and growth,” Lizardo said. “You will be challenged in ways that build wisdom, and you will make friends who become part of your life story.”
Lizardo is grateful for those who supported the journey in the military.
“It has been a thoroughly rewarding career so far, and any success I have achieved is rooted in the support of my family, the steady partnership of my wife Sara, flexibility from my children, Alexander and Marcus, my faith in God, and a belief in the enduring ideals of this nation,” Lizardo said.