Army Colonel to Undergo Breast Cancer Surgery Nov. 17
Albany native Col. Marcie Fulford, a 28-year Army Reserve veteran, is scheduled for breast cancer surgery after a diagnosis she received on Sept. 18.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Cancer
Col. Marcie Fulford, an Albany native and 28-year U.S. Army Reserve member, has her breast cancer surgery scheduled for Nov. 17. Fellow service members across the country have sent messages, care packages and offers of help.
Why it matters
Fulford's case highlights how a service member's cancer diagnosis can prompt a broad show of support from the military community ahead of major treatment. Her long career as a critical care nurse and Army officer frames the personal health news within a wider network of veterans and reservists.
The account is a first-person scheduling update rather than a clinical study, with Fulford's diagnosis on Sept. 18 and surgery set for Nov. 17. Pathology results, prognosis and any follow-up treatment plan were not disclosed.
The players
Marcie Fulford
A U.S. Army Reserve colonel and critical care nurse from Albany, Georgia, who serves as associate chief nurse at the Tomah VA Medical Center in Wisconsin.
U.S. Army Reserve
The reserve component of the United States Army, in which Fulford has served for 28 years after joining to help pay off nursing school loans.
The details
Fulford, who rose from second lieutenant to colonel, served as a critical care nurse and deployed to Afghanistan and the Middle East. She returned from an overseas deployment on July 3, and now works as an associate chief nurse at the Tomah VA Medical Center in Wisconsin.
Timeline
July 3: Fulford returned from an overseas deployment.
Sept. 18: Fulford learned she had breast cancer.
Nov. 17: Breast cancer surgery is scheduled.
Health Landscape
Military reservists who work in clinical medicine often face cancer diagnoses while still serving, as Fulford does after a 28-year Army Reserve career. Her case sits within the broader experience of veterans and service members navigating civilian and military care systems.
Readers facing a similar diagnosis may find Fulford's timeline useful as an example of the roughly two-month gap between diagnosis and surgery. The account underscores the value of scheduling checkups and understanding that support networks can extend beyond family.
The takeaway
Fulford's experience shows that a diagnosis does not have to mean facing treatment alone, and that peer support can come from across a community. Anyone navigating a cancer diagnosis should ask their care team early about scheduling and support options.
What happens next
Fulford's breast cancer surgery is scheduled for Nov. 17, which is the next confirmed milestone in her treatment.
Further reading
Explore more reporting in the Cancer section for context on how breast cancer is diagnosed and treated.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Walb.
