In this episode of the Naval Aviation Ready Room podcast, host Ryan Keys sits down with Dr. John P. Albano, Program Manager at the Robert E. Mitchell Center for POW Studies at NAS Pensacola. Dr. Albano, a retired Army Colonel and flight surgeon with more than 25 years of clinical research, academic, and executive medicine experience, provides an inside look at how Vietnam-era POW studies continue to shape the future of military resilience and medical preparedness.

Founded on decades of research into the health, psychology, and reintegration of Vietnam War POWs, the Mitchell Center has become a cornerstone of military medicine. Dr. Albano explains how Navy POWs from Vietnam demonstrated remarkably low rates of PTSD compared to other combat veterans—insights that continue to influence modern resilience training. He highlights the critical role of communication, community, and structured leadership in captivity, showing how these factors remain essential for preparing today’s service members for the challenges of distributed maritime operations and future conflicts.

With a career spanning from pioneering Army space medicine programs to advancing joint-service medical training, Dr. Albano brings a unique perspective to the intersection of aviation medicine, personnel recovery, and long-term reintegration. He discusses how the Mitchell Center is evolving to address new combat realities, why maintaining comprehensive medical records is vital for personnel recovery operations, and how annual POW reunions serve as both research opportunities and therapeutic experiences.

Through this candid conversation, listeners will gain a deeper understanding of how the enduring lessons of Vietnam POWs inform modern military standards, medical protocols, and resilience-building programs. Dr. Albano’s expertise underscores why the Mitchell Center remains one of naval aviation’s most vital and specialized research programs—dedicated not only to honoring the past but also to preparing future generations of warriors.

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