Shrewsbury Native, Wife End Combined 60-Year Army Careers on Same Day

May 22 was a big day for Shrewsbury native Col. John P. Collins.

In the morning he relinquished command of Europe Regional Medical Command, an organization responsible for providing medical care for military personnel and their families in Germany, Belgium and Italy. In the afternoon, he joined his wife, Col. Nancy J. Hughes, in a joint retirement ceremony that celebrated their combined Army careers totaling more than 60 years.

Collins, son of Dr. John Collins of Shrewsbury and a 1978 graduate of Holliston High School, was named the ERMC interim commander in August 2013. His position was dual-hatted as the command surgeon for U.S. Army Europe as well. 

Hughes, an Army nurse, served as the chief of Clinical Operations and deputy command surgeon for the Office of the Command Surgeon for U.S. Army Europe. Both Collins and Hughes served in the Army for more than 30 years each.

Collins has earned four masters degrees and is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.  Hughes holds a Master of Science in Midwifery and is a certified nurse midwife.

Maj. Gen. Brian C. Lein, the U.S. Army Deputy Surgeon General and U.S. Army Medical Command deputy commander for operations, presided over the joint retirement ceremony at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center Chapel.

Collins and Hughes plan to return to Massachusetts upon their departure from Germany.