May 24, 2011 Giving the breath of life They called Iraq's Camp Anaconda "Mortaritaville." On April 10, 2004, Tech. Sgt. Matthew Blonde found out why.He and another medical technician were walking back to their tent after their shift ended at the hospital when a mortar whooshed overhead, flashing as it exploded into a tent a few hundred
May 24, 2011 Air Force doctor to appear on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' Air Force Maj. (Dr.) Van Adamson never imagined he would appear on a national syndicated TV talk show, standing next to Hollywood's biggest celebrities as a result of a college scholarship he received 13 years ago. In her second-to-last episode on Tuesday, May 24, popular day-time talk show host
May 20, 2011 'Golden hour' initiative pays off in Afghanistan Two years ago, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates traveled throughout Afghanistan, promising deployed troops he would make sure they had everything they needed to accomplish their mission -- including more forward-deployed medical capabilities in the event they were wounded.The goal, he told a group
May 20, 2011 Counselor presented national drug/alcohol abuse prevention award For her dedication to drug and alcohol abuse prevention -- earning Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam a $950,000 federal grant last year -- Tech. Sgt. Jeannie Washington was presented the Government Employees Insurance Company Military Service Award in Washington, D.C., April 18."I felt honored and
May 20, 2011 Lynn cites progress in DOD, VA partnership The partnership to ensure seamless transitions for wounded warriors from military to Veterans Affairs medical care has made significant progress, but work remains to be done, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said here May 19. In testimony before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Mr.
May 20, 2011 Combating stress with wags and pats Sgt. 1st Class Zach sat poised as the female Airman told him about her day. While she ran her fingers through his golden blond hair, Zach raised an eyebrow to others in the room, as if to say "I'm the man."So how did Zach get her to spill the beans? Was it the complexion of his hair or sad droopy
May 18, 2011 Medical group labs renew accreditation The 81st Medical Group's pathology and clinical laboratory, blood gas laboratory and genetics laboratory all have received two-year reaccreditations after undergoing recent inspections by the College of American Pathologists.Each lab was inspected by teams representing the CAP, which is widely
May 18, 2011 Mullen: America must help its war veterans Navy Adm. Mike Mullen spoke about service member and veteran issues to a crowd primed for a Lady Gaga show here last night.The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff found a nontraditional audience for his message about the military as part of a fundraiser for the Robin Hood Foundation at the Javits
May 18, 2011 Airman becomes 'Tiki Bomber' on roller rink She's an Airman 24/7, but at least three days a week she straps on roller skates and becomes a "Mississippi Rollergirl." Lindsey Waller, a nutrition care specialist with the 81st Diagnostics and Therapeutics Squadron Nutritional Medicine Flight, started skating with Mississippi's first women's flat
May 18, 2011 Comprehensive Airman Fitness: Daring to care Air Mobility Command officials recently called up hundreds of Guard, Reserve and active duty Airmen to support operations Odyssey Dawn and Unified Protector.We gave these Airmen between 4 and 36 hours notice to get on an aircraft and forward deploy. These amazing Airmen answered the call to protect
May 17, 2011 Military medical professionals team-up, provide care to 1,800 in remote Djibouti The town of Obock recently played host to an team of U.S. and local dental, optometry, and wellness professionals attached to Camp Lemonnier who combined their skills to provide treatment for Afar tribesmen residing in the Obock Prefecture. This team was part of the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
May 17, 2011 Airmen begin Warrior Games at Olympic Training Complex Twenty-five Airmen joined nearly 200 other wounded warriors for the 2011 Warrior Games opening ceremony May 16 at the Olympic Training Complex here. The competition between all branches of service, including the Coast Guard, is in its second year and is open to service members who were injured while
May 17, 2011 EPA awards Aviano clinic second Energy Star Environmental Protection Agency officials recently awarded the 31st Medical Group a second Energy Star, making the Aviano Air Base clinic the "greenest" in the Air Force.To qualify for the Energy Star, a building must earn 75 or more points on the EPA's 100-point performance scale, indicating that
May 17, 2011 EPLOs supporting Mississippi River flood response effort The recent flooding along the Mississippi River has disrupted lives and commerce, and now the next threat is to several parishes in Louisiana. To help save lives and mitigate property damage, officials at the Air Forces Northern National Security Emergency Preparedness Directorate have deployed two
May 17, 2011 Marines begin reintegration through Air Force Deployment Transition Center More than 100 Marines arrived by air here April 27 for a brief stay at the Air Force Deployment Transition Center.On their way home from Helmand Province in Afghanistan, the Marines of the 1st Explosives Ordnance Disposal Company, from Camp Pendleton, Calif., are the first members from another
May 9, 2011 First-Ever Aortic Procedure Performed at LRMC The international and collaborative nature of medicine at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center resulted in a first-ever procedure that also prevented the need for open heart-bypass surgery on April 1.Dr. Paul B. Haser, a vascular surgeon from the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert
May 9, 2011 The Million Veteran Program: VA's genomics game-changer launches nationwide An unprecedented Veterans Affairs research program that promises to advance the sophisticated science of genomics goes national May 5, according to the VA's top official. "It is my honor," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki, "to join with so many fellow veterans in keeping VA at the
May 9, 2011 Registry yields life-saving treatment lessons A registry established six years ago to track casualty information from Iraq and Afghanistan is providing valuable data that's saving wounded warriors' lives, the commander of the theater hospital here said.Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Guillermo Tellez, commander of the Staff Sgt. Heathe N. Craig Joint
May 9, 2011 'Real Warrior' finds path to physical, emotional healing Black-and-white photos of Vietnam-era veterans line the wall at a Veterans Affairs center. Some are smiling and others are gazing at a distant point, but in all, an unseen light catches the emotion in their eyes.The photographer, now retired Staff Sgt. Stacy Pearsall, a veteran of the more recent
May 5, 2011 Proposal would save $3.2 billion in health care costs The Defense Department's proposal to reform the TRICARE health plan and the military health system would save at least $3.2 billion between 2012 and 2016, the Pentagon's chief financial officer told Congress yesterday. In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee's personnel subcommittee,