Colonel (Ret) Joy Napper is a native of Rochester, Pennsylvania. She was commissioned as an Army Nurse Corps officer in March of 1989. Following completion of the AMEDD Officer Basic Course she was assigned to Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), San Antonio TX, as a Clinical Staff Nurse on various units to include Telemetry, Medical/Surgical, and the Coronary Care ICU. Colonel (Ret.) Napper attended the Critical Care Nursing Course at BAMC and upon completion was assigned to the Trauma/Surgical Intensive Care Unit.
Colonel (Ret) Napper attended the AMEDD Officer Advanced Course in 1994. She was later selected for Long Term Health Education and Training where she completed a dual Masters in Nursing and Business Administration from Incarnate Word College with honors.
She was subsequently assigned to the 121st Combat Support Hospital, Seoul Korea, serving as the Clinical Nurse Officer in Charge (CNOIC) of the Intensive Care Unit. Following this two year assignment, Colonel (Ret) Napper returned to Fort Sam Houston as the Chief of Professional Programs, Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute, serving as Course Director for the Combat Casualty Care Course, the Trauma Nursing Core Course and Basic Trauma Life Support. Upon completion of this tour of duty, Colonel (Ret.) Napper was assigned to Walter Reed Army Medical Center where she served in various roles as the CNOIC of the Cardiothoracic Stepdown Unit, Nursing Instructor, Hospital Education and Ambulatory Section Chief. She deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom with the 28th Combat Support Hospital for 11 months serving as the CNOIC of the Intensive Care Unit/Burn Center. Following her promotion to Colonel, she was selected as the Deputy Commander of Nursing, Fort Campbell Kentucky supervising the inpatient and medical outpatient services for an enrollment population of 75,000 Soldiers and family members.
Colonel (Ret) Napper was subsequently assigned to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in 2012 serving in the following positions: Department Chief, Hospital Education and Training, Deputy Director for Nursing and her final assignment as the Deputy Director for Quality. COL (Ret) Napper currently works as the Director for Quality and Safety at Fort Meade MEDDAC.
Her awards include the following: Bronze Star; Defense Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster (OLC); Meritorious Service Medal (2 OLC); Army Achievement Medal; Military Order of Medical Merit.
Colonel (Ret.) Napper is married to Alfred L. Napper. They are avid football fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens.
