(Natural News) On July 7, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price announced that Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist, will be taking over as head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Fitzgerald has an extensive resume relative to her position, which includes more than 30 years as a practicing physician. She also happens to be a Major in the U.S. Air Force, having served at both the Wurtsmith Air Force Strategic Air Command (SAC) Base in Michigan and at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, D.C.

Why is this last point relevant? Because many people don't realize that the CDC in many ways functions as a branch of the United States military. The agency itself isn't officially designated as such, of course. But a good number of its medical officers, which now include among their ranks Dr. Fitzgerald, are members of the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS). And this agency is officially designated as one of the seven U.S. uniformed services, along with the Army, the Navy, and Dr. Fitzgerald's branch, the Air Force.

Perhaps you're still asking yourself: but why is this relevant? What's the big deal if the CDC and some of its top officers are directly connected to the military-industrial complex? If you've been following the stories published here at Natural News for any length of time, you may recall that the U.S. military has somewhat of a sordid history when it comes to medical experimentation involving not only its service members, but also ordinary citizens. The CDC is often involved as well, maintaining a shadowy relationship with the upper echelons of the military apparatus.

The whole thing borders on deeply concerning when you start considering the potential implications of having a branch of the military essentially directing public health policy. At the very least, it warrants further scrutiny as to why the CDC seems to prefer hiring individuals with a military background as opposed to just ordinary doctors and medical professionals. It also begs the question as to why these two seemingly unrelated entities are so intertwined in the first place.

CDC officials wear militaristic uniforms with emblems resembling military officers

If you've ever seen CDC officials on television, perhaps you noticed that they wear strange uniforms resembling those worn by service members in the military. This is no coincidence, indicating that these individuals are members of a "uniformed service" – in this case, PHS. It also shows that they provide support services to the military in addition to their functional roles as public health authorities, which means they essentially have two jobs.

What this means in a practical sense on a day-to-day basis isn't entirely clear. But it does indicate that the CDC doesn't exactly function as a civilian agency as most people think it does. At the very least, it operates in partnership, or as some kind of hybrid, with the military-industrial complex. These CDC officials who are also PHS officers are appointed and paid by the U.S. military, it's important to note, and the public isn't necessarily told where they came from or why they now work at the CDC.