June 30, 2008 Doctor receives Canadian award A member of the 59th Medical Wing has been awarded the Canadian Meritorious Service Medal for his life-saving contributions to Canadians and coalition soldiers while deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan. Col. (Dr.) Thomas Seay, the 59th Radiology Squadron commander, was assigned to the Combined
June 30, 2008 Stereolithography helps rebuild wounded warrior's jaw While towing a disabled vehicle through the streets of Bagdad in 2004, Army Staff Sgt. Terry Saffron's HUMVEE was struck by an improvised explosive device. When he came to, he had an injured arm and a shattered jaw. For years he suffered debilitating jaw pain and was unable to chew. Army doctors
June 30, 2008 Vice chief visits wounded warriors in Iraq The Air Force vice chief of staff traveled to the Air Force Theater Hospital at Balad Air Base May 29 to visit wounded warriors and accompany them on a flight back to Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Representing Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. T.
June 2, 2008 Iraqi air force performs medical evacuation May 14 marked another significant event when members of the Iraqi air force flew its first medical evacuation mission since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The crew consisted of an Iraqi pilot, flight medic and aerial gunner -- each with a U.S. military counterpart -- as they transported
May 31, 2008 Minor annoyance at home could mean danger in war zone As I walked out of an air conditioned building into the hot, humid afternoon sun, my glasses immediately fogged up. Like so many times before, I was unable to see. This was just a minor annoyance that day in south Texas, but could be a potential life-threatening situation in the desert of Iraq. Once
May 31, 2008 SECAF discusses 'culture shift' toward continuous process improvement Speaking to more than 500 military members and civilians representing all services, as well as interagency and international partners, during the Department of Defense Continuous Process Improvement Symposium May 13, Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne emphasized Department of Defense officials
May 31, 2008 AF Surgeon General briefs AF Village residents Lt. Gen. (Dr.) James Roudebush, Air Force Surgeon General, and 59th Medical Wing Commander Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Tom Travis recently spoke to residents of Air Force Villages I and II about the AF Medical Service and San Antonio medical Base Realignment and Closure initiatives. The briefings were conducted
May 31, 2008 AFMC Surgeon General proud of personnel, provision of care The Air Force offers one of the best medical services in the world, Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Richard A. Hersack said during his May 15 visit to Hanscom AFB, Mass. General Hersack, who became the Air Force Materiel Command surgeon general last fall, said he couldn't be more proud of the medical workers in
May 31, 2008 Military medical advancements benefit civilian health care Psychological health issues and traumatic brain injuries are primary areas of study in military medicine, said a senior Department of Defense medical official here recently. "What we are learning in studies will lead to some major breakthroughs in the world of medicine," said Dr. Michael E.
May 31, 2008 Multinational exercise in Croatia wraps up Croatia hosted the closing ceremony for the 2008 Medical Training Exercise in Central and Eastern Europe, or MEDCEUR, here May 14. MEDCEUR is a Joint Chiefs of Staff regional, multilateral exercise sponsored by U.S. European Command. The exercise provides an opportunity for medical people to share
May 31, 2008 Portable electronic power initiative energizes possibilities An Air Mobility Battlelab initiative could "energize" new possibilities for aeromedical evacuations in the future. Termed the Portable Electronic Power Supply for Aeromedical Evacuations, or PEPSAE, initiative, it addresses a problem of heavy and cumbersome avionic frequency converters used to power
May 31, 2008 Traumatic Stress Response: Psychological first aid Just as combat medics provide first aid to physical wounds, the Scott Air Force Base Traumatic Stress Response team provides the same care to mental wounds. The 375th Medical Group features a service that can help individual Airmen and units cope with traumatic events, whatever they may be. "This is
May 31, 2008 Surgical society honors Wilford Hall doctors Several 59th Medical Wing surgeons were honored during the Society of Air Force Clinical Surgeons' 54th scientific symposium in Cincinnati, Ohio, April 12-17. The SAFCS was formally chartered in 1958 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Membership is comprised of active duty military doctors of
May 31, 2008 AFSO 21: 95th MDG streamlines referral management process The 95th Medical Group streamlined Edwards' Referral Management Center's process during a rapid improvement event here April 14 to 17. This was part of the 95th MDG's effort to capitalize on the Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century initiative. Through Air Force Smart Operations for the
April 30, 2008 Temporary hospital finds permanent place in history Airmen from the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group and the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron here worked together to preserve a piece of Balad Air Base, Logistics Support Area Anaconda and Operation Iraqi Freedom history. The emergency room from the old Balad AB Air Force Theater Hospital,
April 30, 2008 The contributions of America's Airmen Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. T. Michael Moseley have issued the following letter highlighting the contributions of America's Airmen: Airmen, This past Monday, the Secretary of Defense delivered an address at Maxwell AFB to the students of our
April 30, 2008 DOD, VA leaders chart way forward for wounded care Officials in the Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs are diligently working together to solve problems for America's wounded warriors, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee April 24. The two departments are working to "improve
April 30, 2008 Medics deliver superior care, Air Force leaders testify Two Air Force medical leaders told the Senate Subcommittee of Defense April 16 in Washington that the Air Force's state of medical readiness is aligned with the service's top priorities. "Unmistakably, it is the daily delivery of health care that allows us to maintain critical skills that guarantee
April 30, 2008 Trauma doctors gather to hone skills Editor's note: The identity of the Iraqi physician quoted in this article has not been released for security purposes. Approximately 20 deployed military doctors, U.S. civilian doctors and Iraqi doctors gathered at the Air Force Theater Hospital here March 24-25 to share information about operations
April 30, 2008 Deployed emergency managers gather to hone skills They looked liked they were extras in a low-budget, sci-fi movie walking in slick green chemical suits with what looked like scuba-diving air tanks strapped to their backs. A massive dust storm added to the ambiance of the scene by casting a strange orange hue to the already odd-looking clan walking