WASHINGTON — A woman with South Dakota ties was recognized during the 2026 Heroes of Military Medicine Awards, an annual ceremony honoring military and civilian medical professionals for excellence and dedication in caring for wounded, ill, and injured service members, veterans, and their families. Capt. Dr. Abby Shannon of the U.S. Public Health Service was honored May 7 at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Shannon joined the USPHS while working at the Indian Health Service in Sisseton, South Dakota, before transferring to the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May, New Jersey. She now serves as the senior dental executive at the training center, overseeing dental health and readiness for boot camp recruits and active duty service members while managing the dental program at the Coast Guard’s largest clinic. Shannon previously served as the senior dental executive for the National Capital Region, where she coordinated dental care for more than 2,500 Coast Guard active duty and Reserve members across dozens of units, detached units, directorates and U.S. embassies.