BOSTON — Lt. Col. Sean O’Brien is a native of Fitchburg serving in Georgia was honored as part of the Hats Off to Heroes salute on Aug. 22.
O’Brien currently serves as the Medical Readiness Battalion Commander at Fort Benning, Georgia.
“The experience was beyond heartwarming and amazing. There were many friends and family present at the game to support and celebrate with him,” said O’Brien’s mother Diane DiGregorio. “The experience is one that none of us will ever forget … such a proud moment.”
O’Brien was commissioned as an Army officer in 2010 after practicing pharmacy for two years. For his first duty station, he served as assistant chief of Pharmacy Services at Bassett Army Community Hospital at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. He next served as the division pharmacist for the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He then completed a post-graduate year one Pharmacy Practice Residency at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, and subsequently served as deputy chief of Clinical Pharmacy. He next served as chief of pharmacy at Irwin Army Community Hospital at Fort Riley, Kansas. His next assignment was chief of Ancillary Services (pharmacy, radiology and laboratory) at the U.S. Army Health Clinic in Vicenza, Italy.
O’Brien was then selected as the first active-duty Army pharmacist for long-term health education and training to complete a post-graduate year two Critical Care Pharmacy Residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
O’Brien most recently served as the deputy chief, Inpatient Services, Department of Pharmacy and a Surgical-Trauma Intensive Care Unit Clinical Pharmacist at Brooke Army Medical Center, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. He also served as a pharmacology instructor for the Interservice Physician Assistant Program at the Medical Center of Excellence, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas.
O’Brien holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences – Boston (2008), and a Master of Public Health degree from Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences (2016). He is a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, American Pharmacists Association, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, American College of Clinical Pharmacy, and American College of Healthcare Executives. He is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist and a Board Certified Critical Care Pharmacist. He is a graduate of the AMEDD Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, and an honor graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College.
He holds the 9A Proficiency Designator, the highest recognition for professional excellence in the Army Medical Department, a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit (O2M3), and an Army Medical Department Iron Major. He is a recipient of the Army Pharmacy Leadership and Innovation Award (2017), a four-time recipient of the Army Pharmacy Research Award (2016, 2019, 2022, and 2024), and a recipient of the Gerald LaFleur Pharmacy Educator of the Year Award (2025). His awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Meritorious Service Medal (2 OLC), the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (3 OLC), the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal (5 OLC), Armed Forces Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Double Bronze Service Star, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (with numeral 2), Basic Army Instructor Badge, and German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (Gold).
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