Col Joshua M. McConkey serves as the Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer (EPLO) for the National Capital Region. He is responsible for contingency planning, interagency coordination, and national security event preparedness. In this role, he works closely with the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, and other federal, state, and local partners to synchronize emergency response plans, operations, and resources in support of Defense Support of Civil Authorities.
Col McConkey has a distinguished career spanning over two decades, beginning with his commission as a Medical Service Corps officer in April 2000 with the Army National Guard. He transitioned to the Medical Corps in May 2003 and later joined the U.S. Air Force in January 2011. With over 340 flight hours as a flight surgeon, including 90 combat hours in rotorwing medical evacuation and air assault missions, he has provided critical medical support in both wartime and peacetime, saving countless lives. His efforts earned him the Air Medal and Army Commendation Medal for exemplary service during his 2007 deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Throughout his career, Col McConkey has demonstrated exceptional executive leadership. In his previous assignment as Commander of the 459th Aeromedical Staging Squadron, he oversaw the operational readiness of a 200+ bed enroute patient staging system and led a multidisciplinary team of 100+ medical professionals across diverse specialties, ensuring seamless global patient movement and mission support during Operations Prosperity Guardian, Inherent Resolve, and Spartan Shield during the Israeli-Hamas conflict.
Col McConkey brings over 20 years of clinical experience as an Emergency Physician, complementing his academic background as a former Professor at Duke University. He holds Board Certification in Emergency Medicine from the American Board of Emergency Medicine and is Fellowship Boarded in Emergency Medical Services (EMS), with expertise in Disaster Response. He currently serves as the Medical Director at Tesla, providing medical oversight, training, and guidance to on-site emergency response teams, collaborating with executive leadership to enhance emergency preparedness and serves as CEO for the Weight Behind the Spear Foundation, a Non-profit, 501 (c)(3) whose mission is to forge strategic partnerships to increase community engagement and leadership development. Col McConkey is also an award-winning author and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for his leadership book, Be the Weight Behind the Spear. Col McConkey attended the National Security Course at the National Defense University, College of International Security Affairs, where his engagement with members of Congress inspired him to leverage his expertise for legislative development. He has since consulted on drafting legislation and continues to provide strategic policy recommendations to Congress. Additionally, as a member of the Air Force Association Council, he contributed to advancing legislative and policy initiatives that addressed service members’ quality of life, equipment modernization, and military construction priorities for the Air Force Reserve.