COLONEL LEWIS R. WAYT
Commander, U.S. Army Dental Health Activity-Japan

Colonel Lewis “Rusty” Wayt is a native of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Oklahoma in 1997 and in 2002 earned a DDS degree from the University of Oklahoma, College of Dentistry. He was awarded a Health Professions Scholarship and commissioned a captain in the U.S. Army Dental Corps upon graduation.

Colonel Wayt’s military education includes the Army Medical Department Officer Basic and Advanced Courses as well as the Command and General Staff College in residence. In 2004 he completed the Army’s two year Advanced Education in General Dentistry program at Fort Hood, Texas. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of General Dentistry and Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry.

His previous assignments include Fort Hood; Fort Story, Virginia; Presidio of Monterey, California; Fort Gordon, Georgia; West Point, New York; and Dental Clinic commander, Fort Rucker, Alabama. He also deployed to Iraq with the 502nd Dental Company. The colonel assumed his present duties July 21, 2020.

The colonel’s awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary, Iraq Campaign Medal with two campaign stars, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Meritorious Unit Citation, and Army Superior Unit Award.