3 Questions with Major Cedric Walters, MBA, MLS(ASCP)CM United States Air Force
By - July 22, 2026
Major Cedric Walters, MBA, MLS(ASCP)CM, serves as an Air Force Biomedical Officer with the Biomedical Sciences Corps of the U.S. Air Force.
As Deputy Branch Chief, Biomedical Sciences Corps (BSC), and Enlisted Medical Career Management, Major Walters has served as Infection Preventionist and Infectious Disease Advisor during Aeromedical Evacuation transport missions. His dynamic career has taken him from the laboratory bench to outpatient clinics to military deployment settings.
Here, Major Walters shares his patient-first perspective of laboratory medicine, balancing the rigorous standards the profession requires with empathy and respect for the patients awaiting test results.
What motivates you in your role, knowing that your results influence a patient’s diagnosis and treatment?
What motivates me is the profound realization that behind every sample is a human life with their own story, their own struggles, and loved ones who care deeply about them. I approach my work knowing that one day, my own family or friends could be in a similar position, relying on accurate lab results for their diagnosis and treatment. That personal connection drives my commitment to providing every single patient with the highest quality of care possible.
As a military medic, I also take immense pride in knowing that our laboratory’s role is a direct contributor to force readiness and mission success.
Ultimately, knowing that my work supports the broader mission and protects those who protect our nation is what drives me every day.
If you could help patients understand one thing about the role of pathology or lab medicine in their care, what would it be?
I would want patients to understand that the lab is a discipline of accuracy and precision where there is no room for shortcuts. To ensure high-quality care, we must adhere to incredibly strict standards.
I realize that for a patient, being told they need a redraw or must wait because they didn't fast can be challenging. But I want them to see those moments not as a failure of the system, but as the system working exactly as it should to protect them.
We choose the difficult path of following these standards to ensure the integrity of their results, because at the end of the day, their safety and quality of care depend on our accuracy.
What is something that has surprised you about working in the lab?
What has surprised me the most is the number of opportunities to learn, grow, and expand my impact across the entire medical field. As an Air Force Biomedical Laboratory Officer, my career certainly hasn't been confined to a single bench or section. I’ve had the privilege of working in diverse environments, from outpatient clinics to large medical centers and a reference lab.
Beyond traditional lab roles, I was surprised to find how well my background prepared me to train and work as an Infection Preventionist. I used that training to deploy as an Infectious Disease Advisor during critical Aeromedical Evacuation transport missions in and out of deployed settings.
It’s been incredible to see how foundational laboratory knowledge can be applied to such a diverse set of complex medical and operational situations.
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