Dr. Rust was born in Manchester, Tennessee and later moved to Knoxville where he attended high school and the University Of Tennessee College Of Engineering. In 1981 he was selected for the United States Air Force (USAF) Health Professions Scholarship Program and entered medical school at the University Of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences in Memphis, Tennessee .
He earned his Medical Doctorate in 1985, married his wife, Joyce and together raised 5 children. After completing Internal Medicine residency at Erlanger Medical Center , Chattanooga , TN in 1988 he entered active-duty in the USAF as staff internist at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. He was selected for Pulmonary , Critical Care Fellowship and attended Louisiana State University Medical Center New Orleans, Louisiana in 1990-1993 . He continued his USAF career practicing pulmonary and critical care medicine with duty assignments and deployments throughout the United States, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Alaska. He was medical director for United States Air Force Europe critical care air transport teams managing treatment and evacuation of casualties from the United States Embassy bombing in Nairobi, Kenya and later numerous deployments in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, accruing over 1000 hours transporting critically injured or ill United States and coalition forces casualties in missions throughout the Middle East and Europe.
In 2013 he retired in the rank of Colonel after 25 years of active military service and moved home to Tennessee . Dr. Rust values excellence , integrity and service before self. He maintains board certifications in internal medicine, pulmonary diseases and critical care medicine. He enjoys medicine, fitness , music, teamwork , and continuing medical education .