Major Sebastian Schnellbacher: Applying Lessons from the 4077th to Today's Military

It has been more than 30 years since the popular television show M*A*S*H went off the air but there is still much that can be learned from the show, particularly when it comes to psychiatry in the military.

Over the course of a decade Maj. Sidney Freedman made several appearances as a military psychiatrist. While there were some differences between real life and what was portrayed on the show, Majr. Sebastian R. Schnellbacher, DO, from Joint Base Lewis McChord said it showed some of the benefits of the work military psychiatrists can do on the battlefield. Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in Atlanta, Schnellbacher said he was glad to discuss something less clinical which also conveyed an important message which he said extended well beyond the ranks of the armed forces.