In January 2020, Admiral Brett P. Giroir, MD, was among the first leaders tapped to repatriate US citizens from Wuhan, China, in the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. From the first days, he grappled not only with unprecedented scientific and medical complexities, but also growing challenges to individual liberties experienced by the only Americans thought exposed to the infection at the time.  Ultimately, Giroir would be called to serve on the White House Coronavirus Task Force and become one of the most recognized and trusted public figures for the American people.