BG Craig C. McFarland graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY in 1994 and the University of Miami School of Medicine in 1998, commissioned in the Medical Corps, and completed his internship at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1999.
He then served three years as Battalion Surgeon, 3rd Bn, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Campbell, KY, including a theater-opening deployment to Afghanistan as part of Task Force Dagger in the initial assaults of Operation Enduring Freedom.
BG McFarland then completed a Residency in Anesthesiology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC, from 2002 to 2005. He was the distinguished graduate of his residency class. Subsequent assignments included service as Staff Anesthesiologist at the San Antonio Military Medical Center (2005-2009) and Associate Program Director of the Anesthesiology Residency at the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium (2006-2009). This period included a deployment to Baghdad, Iraq with the 10th Combat Support Hospital (Ft Carson, CO) in 2006. From 2009 to 2013, he served as the Chief of the Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, in Germany, then returned to the San Antonio Military Medical Center.
In 2014, he transferred to the Army Reserve, serving with the 228th CSH for two years. He commanded the 7304th Medical Training Support Battalion for two years before deploying to Qatar as Chief of Clinical Operations for the 3D Medical Command (Deployment Support) Operational Command Post. After returning from Qatar in 2019, he served as the Command Surgeon, Army Reserve Medical Command. He commanded the Northeast Medical Area Readiness Support Group for two years before assuming his position as Deputy Commander, 3D Medical Command (Deployment Support) in May of 2024.
BG McFarland is a graduate of the AMEDD Officer Basic Course, the AMEDD Captain’s Career Course, the Command and General Staff Officer Course, and the U.S. Army War College. The operational medicine courses he has completed include the Special Operations Medical Indoctrination Course, the Army Flight Surgeon Primary Course, the Navy Dive Medical Officer Course, and the Military Tropical Medicine Course. His decorations include: the Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Army Superior Unit Award, the Combat Medical Badge, the Army Flight Surgeon Badge, the Army Parachutist Badge, the Special Operations Diver Badge, the Combat Action Badge, the Navy Dive Medical Officer Badge, the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge, and the Kenyan Parachutist Badge. He is a recipient of the Army Medical Department “A” Proficiency Designator, and a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit.
In his civilian employment, he practices anesthesia in San Antonio, treating service members and their families at Brooke Army Medical Center. BG McFarland is married to Cristina Mora McFarland, of Miami, Florida, and they have two daughters—Anna Cristina and Margaret Emily.