Welcome to the Black Commissioned Officers Advisory Group

The Black Commissioned Officers Advisory Group (BCOAG) was chartered February 7, 1990. Originally known as the Black Commissioned Officers Steering Committee, the group was formed out of a delegation of officers who attended the 1987 meeting of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust. Under the leadership of the then CAPT Audrey F. Manley, the group was formally organized and developed a report of recommendations and initiatives for consideration by C. Everett Koop, M.D., who then served as the Surgeon General.

Thus, since its inception, BCOAG has provided assistance and consultation to the Office of the Surgeon General on issues related to the representation and participation of African American in the USPHS as officers and civilians. Since 1990, the BCOAG has successfully organized several recruitment conferences for high school and/or college students: established and annually awarded the Hildrus Poindexter Award to acknowledge leadership and contributions toward improving the health of African Americans and other ethnic groups; served as mentors to high school students at Eastern High School in Washington, D.C.; established the CAPT John C. Eason, Jr. Scholarship for high school students who are preparing for health careers in honor of the first African American commissioned by the USPHS; organized a joint choir with the National Naval Officers Association (NNOA), and held a performance to raise funds to support the BCOAG scholarship program; published a Directory of Black Commissioned Officers; and promoted the development of other USPHS minority officer advisory groups, including the Minority Officers Liaison Council (MOLC).