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.

What You’ll Learn

• How the Vietnam POW experience shaped modern military resilience training and reintegration protocols
• Why Navy POWs from Vietnam show remarkably low PTSD rates compared to other combat veterans
• The critical role of communication and community in POW survival, from tap codes to modern methods
• How military medicine adapted to support missile defense operations and space-based missions
• Why joint service cooperation in medical training leads to better operational readiness
• The challenges of preparing younger service members for potential captivity in future conflicts
• How the Mitchell Center’s research is evolving to address distributed maritime operations
• The importance of maintaining comprehensive medical records during personnel recovery operations
• Why annual POW reunions serve as both research opportunities and therapeutic experiences 
  
  

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Highlights and YouTube Chapters:

•  [00:00] Intro: Meet Dr. John Albano, Expert in POW Studies
• [02:41] From Army Flight Surgeon to Aviation Medicine Pioneer
• [06:31] Joint Service Training: Navy and Army Medical Collaboration
• [19:30] The Mitchell Center: Origins of POW Research and Care
• [30:16] Understanding POW Resilience: Therapy Through Community
• [34:04] Modern POW Communication: From Tap Code to Technology 
• [39:41] Preparing for Future Conflicts: Training the Next Generation
• [43:59] Personal Recovery Evolution: Lessons from Vietnam to Today
• [50:28] Inside the Mitchell Center: A Small Team with Big Impact
• [52:10] Looking Forward: The "Return with Honor" Museum Exhibit