Former Walter Reed American Red Cross volunteer joins U.S. Navy Nurse Corps

By Bernard S. Little Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Hospital Communication

The desire to help others rarely stays confined to one uniform. Although Megan Do recently traded in her scarlet vest as an American Red Cross (ARC) volunteer at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) for U.S. Navy whites and gold bars, her mission remains the same — serving those who serve the nation.

As one of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps’ (NNC) newest commissioned officers, Do is carrying forth the foundational lessons that she learned in humanitarian volunteerism at Walter Reed with the ARC to military healthcare.

Do entered the prestigious U.S. Navy Nurse Corps on Oct. 22 at Walter Reed when longtime ARC Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) volunteer Steve Peth swore her into the corps.

“The past four years have been filled with so many blessings, and one of them has been volunteering with the Red Cross,” said Do. “From the very beginning, Mr. Peth has been so supportive, especially with my application to the [nurse corps] program.”

“Steve generously mentors our youngest volunteers, who are often pursuing careers in medicine,” explained Molly M. Wilson, SAF Regional Manager for the ARC National Capital & Greater Chesapeake Region, which includes Walter Reed. “His mentorship has inspired many of our most talented young people to choose military medicine.”

Peth is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and decorated pilot who served in Vietnam flying medical evacuation missions under the callsign DUSTOFF in helicopters with a red cross painted on them. He now helps to oversee ARC volunteers in Walter Reed’s Department of Rehabilitation, including those in physical therapy, occupational therapy, prosthetics, physical medicine and the Military Advanced Training Center (MATC).

"I met Megan in Walter Reed’s Red Cross office on Nov. 23, 2022,” Peth shared. “I was talking to another Red Cross volunteer when Megan must have overheard something about my Army background. She asked me why I joined the Army. Well, that was a surprise question that I had never heard from a brand-new volunteer, and it certainly deserved a serious answer. We agreed to have more discussion[s]. Eventually, Megan became one of my Red Cross volunteers in the Department of Rehabilitation.”

“We’re a very busy department, seeing an average of 200 patients a day,” shared U.S. Army Maj. Erin Foley, chief of physical therapy at Walter Reed. “We could not do that without our Red Cross volunteers like Megan and all the hard work she and other volunteers put in to make sure we are able to see those deserving patients.”

Do volunteered at Walter Reed while a full-time nursing student at Catholic University in Washington, D.C.

Peth added that Do turned down an opportunity to attend the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis to become a nursing student at Catholic University. “I was totally impressed with that and her commitment to volunteer at Walter Reed, having to commute by public transportation one hour each way. The feedback I received from the rehab staff, patients and other volunteers regarding Megan was nothing but exemplary.”

In 2024, Peth said Do informed him that she was joining the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps. “I was not surprised,” he added. “Then, sometime in 2025, it became obvious that she would be graduating. She asked me if I would be her commissioning officer, and of course I said, ‘Yes,’ and then I panicked because I’m an Army guy.”

Peth said he discussed doing Do’s commissioning with U.S. Navy Capt. Robert Cuento, chief nursing officer and acting executive officer for Naval Medical Readiness Training Command (NMRTC) Bethesda at Walter Reed. “He said, ‘No problem,’ and turned it over to U.S. Navy Lt. Cecilia Cates, another Navy nurse and deputy director for the nurse residency program at Walter Reed. She put together an excellent ceremony.”

Cates explained that the commissioning ceremony marked a significant milestone recognizing a new beginning for Do, who accepted the “privilege and obligation of serving the nation in the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps. From the earliest days of our Navy, officers have been entrusted with the authority and responsibility to lead Sailors and defend the interest of the United States. A commission represents more than a rank or title. It is the formal grant of authority from the President of the United States to serve as an officer in the Navy.”

“Whether that responsibility is at sea, in the air, in the field, or at the bedside, naval officers are entrusted with the lives of those they lead, the care and employment of government resources, and the execution of the nation’s orders,” Cates added.

During the ceremony, Do’s brother and father outfitted the Navy’s newest ensign with her officer shoulder boards and cover. She then received her first salute from former enlisted U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Keith Allaire, who served as a Navy bandsman and instructor at the Naval School of Music and also volunteered with the ARC at Walter Reed. After the salute, Do gave Allaire a silver dollar, another time-honored naval tradition symbolizing the relationship between officers and enlisted personnel built on mutual respect, trust and a shared commitment to mission and service, Cates explained.

Cuento then welcomed Do into the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps and shared that a lot is now expected of her, including taking care of her Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, their families and other recipients of healthcare in the Military Health System (MHS). “But do not forget about your family,” he told her as she pursues the high-stakes world of global military healthcare.”

Do shared that her grandparents, who passed away a few years ago, served as inspirations for her to pursue nursing and military service in order for her to give back to her country.

“Megan Do’s grandparents escaped the brutality of the invaders of South Vietnam,” Peth added. “They fled to the sea in small boats. They became international refugees. Her father, Trinh Do, was 12 years old at the time. Eventually, in increments, the entire family made it to the United States and became U.S. citizens. And Trinh had a family that included Megan’s brother, Mark, and of course Megan. The saving of the Do family gives us a new Navy ensign and a new nurse.”

“[My family] has inspired me to not only be a good nurse and provide compassionate care to my patients but also to live to the highest standards that I can and make a difference in the world,” Do said.

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