Who We Are

The Black Commissioned Officers Advisory Group (BCOAG) is a collective public health professional body whose primary mission is to serve and advise the Surgeon General on Black matters. In addition, BCOAG supports the career advancement and professional development of Black officers.

History 

BCOAG was chartered February 7, 1990. Originally known as the Black Commissioned Officers Steering Committee, the group was formed out of a delegation of officers who attended the 1987 meeting of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust. Under the leadership of RADM Audrey F. Manley (ret.), the group was formally organized and developed a report of recommendations and initiatives for consideration by C. Everett Koop, M.D., who then served as the Surgeon General.

BCOAG has provided assistance and consultation to the Office of the Surgeon General on issues related to the representation and participation of Blacks in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) as officers. Since 1990, the BCOAG has successfully organized several recruitment conferences for high school and/or college students; established and annually awarded the Hildrus Poindexter Award to acknowledge leadership and contributions toward improving the health of African-Americans and other ethnic groups; served as mentors to high school students at Eastern High School in Washington, D.C.; established the CAPT John C. Eason, Jr. Scholarship for high school students who are preparing for health careers in honor of the first Black officer commissioned by the USPHS; organized a joint choir with the National Naval Officers Association (NNOA), and held a performance to raise funds to support the BCOAG scholarship program; published a Directory of Black Commissioned Officers; and promoted the development of other USPHS minority officer advisory groups, including the Minority Officers Liaison Council (MOLC).

Role of BCOAG

The role of BCOAG within USPHS is to provide advice and consultation to the Surgeon General in conjunction with the MOLC on matters related to the Commissioned Corps and U.S. Public Health Service. The BCOAG provides similar advisory assistance to the Professional Advisory Committees (PACs) and their respective Chief Professional Officers (CPOs) and, upon request, to agency and/or program heads of the USPHS and non-PHS programs that routinely use USPHS personnel. All BCOAG members are knowledgeable professionals who represent a cross-section of interests, concerns, and responsibilities of Black officers in agencies and organizations staffed by USPHS personnel.

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