Major General (R)
Doctor of Medicine
Deputy Director, TRICARE Management Activity
Major General (MG) Elder Granger '76 of West Memphis, Arkansas, served as the Deputy Director of TRICARE Management Activity, a Department of Defense (DoD) field activity responsible for operating the Military Health System as a fully integrated health care system within DoD. He was responsible for TRICARE health and medical resources, supervising and administering TRICARE programs, funding and other resources. MG Granger directed a staff of more than 1,800 people and an annual Defense Health Program budget of $22.5 billion with oversight including the effective provision of high-quality, accessible health care for 9.2 million beneficiaries worldwide.
A native of West Memphis, MG Granger began his military career in 1971 as a combat medic with the Arkansas National Guard. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in zoology (Cum Laude) from Arkansas State University (ASU) and distinguished himself by receiving several recognitions while attending ASU. Some of the recognitions that he received included a three-year ROTC Scholarship, Superior Freshman Cadet, Military History Award, Distinguished Military Student, Distinguished Military Graduate and being named to Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities, 1976.
After attaining his Doctor of Medicine from the University Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 1980, he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army and held several other leadership positions of significant importance that include Division Surgeon, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado; Commander, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Landstuhl, Germany; Commander/Command Surgeon, European Regional Medical Command/7th Army, Heidelberg, Germany; Commanding General/Command Surgeon, 44th Medical Command/XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, NC and Commander, Task Force 44th Medical Command and Command Surgeon for Multinational Corps-Iraq, in Baghdad, Iraq.
He received more than 30 military and community service awards including the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Man of the Year; named to Outstanding Young Men of America; the Department of Defense Superior Service Medal; U.S. Army Legion of Merit with Three Oak Leaf Clusters, and Bronze Star Medal.
