United States Army

As a pediatric dentist in the U.S. Army, Major Kourtney Logan (SJS '02) draws on her experience as a self-described “Army brat” to relate to her young patients. Kourtney’s father, Col. Kenneth O. Logan, retired from the Army after 30 years of experience, and Kourtney and her family moved many times around the country and abroad while she was growing up.

“I really enjoy interacting with the kids. The soldiers signed up for this, but the kids don’t really have a say, and they’re taken all over the world,” Kourtney said. “Especially when families are overseas and in an unsure environment, the service we provide is a little bit of home for them. The soldiers are at ease that their families are being taken care of so that they can better serve without that extra worry.”

Kourtney is in her 10th year in the Army and has moved eight times over that span, including stints in Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, South Korea, and Germany. She’s used to the transient lifestyle that comes with a career in the Army, and thinks that experience affected her overall personality and temperament. 

“I learned how to be the new kid in a situation, how to make friends quickly, and how to interact with different people,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of new beginnings and see you laters.”

Kourtney is currently the Executive Fellow for the Army Dental Directorate at U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX.  She started that position in October 2019 after returning stateside from Germany. As part of the Fellowship and in conjunction with the pandemic, she and her team are in charge of policy response in terms of infection control policy and how to protect staff and patients from COVID-19 spread. 

“We’re looking at things like HVAC systems and how to better utilize them, use of HEPA filters, and things of that nature to better help our staff and soldiers. I’m learning a lot. It’s like coming from a fire hose because everything can change in a single day," she said. 

When Kourtney was just beginning her post-Saint James life, she chose to be a Classics major at the University of Pennsylvania, even though she knew she ultimately wanted a career in healthcare. 

“I knew I wanted to do healthcare because the opportunity to individually impact someone’s life really appealed to me,” she said.  “And I knew that if I was going to be studying science for the rest of my life, the opportunity to go to college and learn something else was something I wanted to take advantage of. It gives your mind a break to think differently."

Kourtney, who also did ROTC while at Penn, then went to Columbia University for Dental School. When starting her career with the Army, she served as a general dentist for four years while on active duty. She was stationed with a brigade combat team at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, which she found to be a very inspiring experience. 

“You really get an appreciation for what they go through on a daily basis, and I tried to be of service in any way to make sure they’re in optimal health because you know the responsibility that’s placed upon them,” Kourtney said. “I think the biggest thing about being a provider in the Army is that you are taking care of such a valuable resource and how we treat them goes so far with how they’re going to perform ultimately in whatever location they’re placed around the world.”

The Army then selected Kourtney to train at Baylor for two years in pediatric dentistry. She noted one big difference between being a pediatric dentist in the Army versus a private practice is cost for families. 

“If a child is at-risk for cavities or has a history of cavities, I will see them every week if I have to, and it isn’t an issue,” Kourtney said. “Now, in private practice, it’s like ‘what kind of insurance do you have?’ and having to work around it.”

Kourtney is the youngest of four siblings, two brothers (Kenny and Kyle) and one sister, Kirsten, who graduated from Saint James in 2000 and also served in the Army for five years. Her brother attended three different high schools, and the Logan family decided the stability of staying in one place while at boarding school would be a good option. 

“Being an Army brat, I had that mentality of ‘you’re only here for a little while,’ but then I got to Saint James, and the community that I found there and the continuity in those experiences of living with someone in the dorm and seeing the same teachers after study hall; it was really special,” she said. “It gave me such a strong foundation moving forward.” 

Kourtney has the distinction of being the first Black female Senior Prefect at Saint James, a leadership role that taught her many lessons going forward. 

“I think having that leadership position really taught me about being in the spotlight and making it not about you but the mission to serve,” she said. “I’m pretty introverted, like I think a lot of Saint James kids can be, so to be in that role with guidance to help me gave me confidence to take on other leadership roles as I’ve gone along.”

Kourtney will serve in her fellowship position until next summer, and then she hopes to take command of a field dental unit, before eventually making her way back to pediatrics.  She has also decided recently that she intends to stay in the Army for 20 years and continue to serve.

“With dentistry you can have an impact on an individual patient, which is unique and special, but I think as I progressed in the Army and the different leadership positions that I’ve had, I see the ability to impact a unit and influence its culture,” Kourtney said. “There’s so many young soldiers coming in and the opportunity to be an influence on that young person’s life and tell them different opportunities they have in the military is very rewarding.”