Colonel Sarah E. Handegard is the commander, 192nd Medical Group, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. She is responsible for ensuring a high-performance medical force capable of responding in support of the Commonwealth of Virginia and federal medical taskings. She is entrusted with promoting the health and well-being of Guardsmen and enabling a medically ready force for the Virginia Air National Guard.
Col. Handegard entered the North Dakota Army National Guard in January 1996 and served as a 91B combat medic. In March 1997, she transferred to the North Dakota Air National Guard as a 4N0X1 medical technician. In September 2003, she entered the Interservice Physician Assistant Program and graduated in September 2005, becoming the first Air National Guard member to graduate from the program with a Master’s degree. Upon graduation, she was commissioned as a first lieutenant and shortly after transferred to the Virginia Air National Guard's 203rd Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer, or RED HORSE, as a physician assistant, where she served for 17 years. In her previous role, she served as commander of the 192nd MDG Detachment 1 for two years.
Col. Handegard participated in Operation Coronet Nighthawk (Curacao, Netherlands Antilles), Medlinte medical training exercise (Tunisia, Africa), Operation Noble Eagle (United States), and Joint Task Force Camp Grafton humanitarian project supporting Operation Walking Shield (United States) while with the NDANG. After joining the 203rd RED HORSE, she deployed in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), Inherent Resolve (Qatar), and Freedom Sentinel (Qatar). As part of the State Partnership Program, she traveled to Tajikistan, where she taught medical skills to the Tajikistan military. She also provided medical support for the joint humanitarian mission Beyond the Horizon in El Salvador. Col. Handegard has provided medical backfill through manpower assistance tours supporting the 52nd MDG at Spangdahlem Air Force Base, Germany, the 36th MDG at Anderson AFB, Guam, the 633rd MDG at JBLE, Virginia, and the 51st MDG at Osan AFB, South Korea. During the early stages of the COVID pandemic, she provided support to domestic COVID response operations as the Senior Joint Medical Planner, Joint Medical Advisory Cell, Virginia National Guard.
In her civilian capacity, she has worked as an emergency medicine physician assistant since 2006 and has maintained certifications in Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Advanced Trauma Life Support and Advanced Burn Life Support. She is currently the Lead Advanced Practice Provider (APP) for her current civilian employer and oversees two emergency departments. She has worked in both a level II trauma center and small community hospitals and currently works in emergency departments in Fredericksburg and Danville, Virginia.
EDUCATION
1996 Associate in Science, Bismarck State College, Bismarck, N.D.
1996 Basic Army Combat Training, Ft Leonard Wood, Mo.
1996 Advanced Individual Training, Ft Sam Houston, Texas
1999 Bachelor of Science, double major Biology/Psychology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, N.D. 2000 Airman Leadership School, McGhee Tyson ANG, Tenn.
2000 Associate in Applied Science, Allied Health Sciences, Community College of the Air Force
2004 Bachelor of Science, IPAP, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb.
2005 Master of Physician Assistant Studies, IPAP, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb. 2005 Board Certified Physician Assistant, National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants 2006 Commissioned Officer Training, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
2010 Squadron Officer School, Non-Residence
2018 Air Command and Staff College, Non-Residence
2021 Air War College, Non-Residence
2022 Squadron Commander’s Course, ANG Readiness Center, Joint Base Andrews, Md. 2025 Group Commander’s Course, ANG Readiness Center, Joint Base Andrews, Md.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. January 1996 – March 1997 Combat Medic, 815th Medical Battalion, NDARNG
2. March 1997 – October 2005 Aerospace Medical Service Technician, 119th MDG, NDANG (August 2003 – August 2004 PA Student, IPAP, Ft Sam Houston, Texas) (August 2004 – September 2005 PA Student, IPAP, Nellis AFB, Nev.)
3. October 2005 – December 2022 Physician Assistant, 203rd RHS, VAANG (October 2006 – June 2007 Physician Assistant, 557th ERHS/1st ERHG, Speicher, Iraq) (March 2011 – October 2011 Physician Assistant 809th ERHS/1st ERHG, Kandahar, Afghanistan) (April 2016 – October 2016 Physician Assistant 557th ERHS/1st ECEG, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar) (September 2021 – May 2022 Physician Assistant 557th ERHS/1st ECEG, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar)
4. January 2023 – November 2024 Commander, 192 MDG/DET1, VAANG
5. November 2024 – current Commander 192 MDG, VAANG
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters
Air and Space Commendation Medal
Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Navy Commendation Medal
Army Achievement Medal
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
1999 Cum Laude, University of North Dakota
2000 John Levitow Award, Airman Leadership School, McGhee Tyson ANG, Tenn.
2018 Mission Support Group Outstanding Field Grade Officer of the Year, 192nd VAANG 2022 Mission Support Group Outstanding Field Grade Officer of the Year, 192nd VAANG
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Life member Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS) Life member National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS)
Society of Air Force Physician Assistants (SAFPA) Board of Directors Senior Delegate at Large: ANG and Reserve Society of Emergency Medicine Physician Assistants (SEMPA)
American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA)
Virginia Academy of Physician Assistants (VAPA)
North Carolina Academy of Physician Assistants (NCAPA)
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Army Private January 9, 1996
Army Private First Class November 23, 1996
Senior Airman May 20, 1998
Staff Sergeant May 24, 2000
Technical Sergeant October 23, 2002
First Lieutenant September 16, 2003
Captain October 1, 2007
Major October 13, 2011
Lieutenant Colonel February 27, 2016
Colonel November 15, 2024
(CURRENT AS OF AUGUST 2025)