March 6, 2012 Air Force expands drug testing program to include abused prescription drugs The Air Force and other military services will expand their drug testing to include testing for commonly abused prescription drugs beginning May 1, 2012.On Jan. 31, 2012, the Secretary of Defense gave a 90-day advance notice of the drug testing expansion which aims to counter the nation's growing
Feb. 23, 2012 EMT 'rodeo' sharpens emergency response skills Being deployed overseas can sometimes be challenging for an emergency medical technician, especially since there could be situations that one wouldn't normally see on city streets in the U.S.This is why the 386th Expeditionary Medical Group developed the EMT Rodeo, which creates various challenges
Feb. 21, 2012 First African-American woman to earn commercial pilot's license challenged racism head-on A Chicago registered nurse would go on to become the first African-American female to hold a commercial pilot's license.Janet Bragg was born in March of 1907 in Griffin, Ga., and after graduation from an Episcopal school, attended college at Spelman Seminary in Atlanta where she earned a registered
Feb. 21, 2012 Nurse faced hurdles for military acceptance Retired Army Maj. Nancy C. Leftenant-Colon, the first black nurse in the Reserve or active-duty Army nurse corps, didn't expect it to be easy.
Feb. 15, 2012 Air Force Medical Service turns to secure messaging Patients at Air Force medical treatment facilities will soon be able to communicate securely and privately with their health care teams anywhere and anytime due to the Air Force-wide expansion of secure messaging.Secure messaging will be available to patients through what is known as the MiCare
Feb. 14, 2012 All-AF critical care, air evac team makes historic first flight The first all-Air Force Critical Care Air Transport and Aero-medical Evacuation Team to fly with the only fixed wing aircraft dedicated to the medical evacuation mission in Afghanistan completed its first successful mission Jan. 13 and continues saving lives. The CCAT/AE team flies with the 76th
Feb. 13, 2012 Aeromedical evac team aids freed hostages For Staff Sgt. Donald Ennis, a medical technician assigned to the 379th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, the day started routinely enough. He walked outside his room to video chat with his wife and two daughters on his computer. During the conversation, he glanced up from the screen
Feb. 13, 2012 First Lady samples food transformation initiative at Little Rock First Lady Michelle Obama visited the Hercules Dining Facility here Feb. 9 to survey the food transformation initiative program on base. The visit was part of a three-day tour by the First Lady commemorating the second anniversary of her "Let's Move!" program designed to combat childhood obesity.In
Feb. 13, 2012 Air Force nursing: Creating a culture of inquiry Col. Kimberly Cox, 59th Medical Wing chief nurse executive, hosted the second annual Nursing Research Day Jan. 27, 2012, at Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. This year's theme was "Creating a Culture of Inquiry" and the event was officially opened by Maj. Gen.
Feb. 9, 2012 SECDEF visits Air Force wounded warrior care facility The Secretary of Defense visited Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Feb. 3, to show his appreciation for the dedicated and hard-working service members who ensure wounded warriors receive world-class care.Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta started his visit at the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility
Jan. 31, 2012 Air Force, Navy officers help develop Afghan hospital project A major step forward for Afghans living near Shindand Air Base, Afghanistan, occurred Jan. 28 during the groundbreaking for a new hospital. The $5 million commander's emergency response program has an estimated completion timeframe of nine months. Air Force Maj. Wesley Morris, a comptroller adviser
Jan. 31, 2012 Airman injured at Kandahar awarded Purple Heart In Kandahar, Afghanistan, where East meets West in a struggle to defeat the Taliban lies an air base that's home to 30,000 servicemembers tasked with the job to assist NATO and Afghan nationals in gaining and maintaining security.During 2011 alone, more than 400 U.S. servicemembers died and more
Jan. 30, 2012 DGMC researchers first in Department of Defense to test new device Researchers at David Grant USAF Medical Center recently became the first Department of Defense recipients of a portable heart and lung machine that is expected to revolutionize air transport of critically injured troops. The CARDIOHELP life support system is a versatile device that can temporarily
Jan. 30, 2012 Airmen assist victims of avalanche, downed aircraft in Afghanistan A team of U.S. Air Force and Afghan air force aircrew and support personnel snapped into action Jan. 24 to provide life-saving support to 31 Afghan victims of an avalanche.Additionally, the team supported an Afghan aircrew that had downed their aircraft in an effort to rescue the victims of the
Jan. 30, 2012 Medic turned first sergeant brings caring to 728th AMS Living in Mount Pleasant, S.C., and working two jobs trying to get through college, a family member in the Army suggested to Anitra Mostacero that she join the Air Force.More than 15 years later, Master Sgt. Anitra Mostacero, 728th AMS first sergeant, is with her seventh squadron as a first sergeant
Jan. 26, 2012 AF Surgeon General visits with 86th MDG, talks mission focus Lt. Gen. Charles B. Green, Air Force Surgeon General, and Chief Master Sgt. Charles Cole, Chief of Medical Enlisted Force, visited the 86th Medical Group at Ramstein Monday.During their visit, Green and Cole spoke with Airmen and toured various offices within the 86th MDG and saw first-hand their
Jan. 26, 2012 Keesler medic chief retires after 30 years Chief Master Sgt. Debra Strickland ends her 30-year Air Force career during a formal retirement ceremony at 2:30 p.m. Jan. 26 in the Keesler Hospital Don Wylie Auditorium. Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Dan Wyman, Air Combat Command command surgeon, will officiate.Chief Strickland is 81st Surgical Operations
Jan. 10, 2012 METC Command Chief selected as new Chief, Medical Enlisted Force Friday, January 6 could not have been a more perfect day for Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Kevin Lambing, command chief of the Medical Education & Training Campus (METC). That day Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Charles B. Green, the Air Force Surgeon General, confirmed Lambing will be the new Chief of the Medical
Jan. 9, 2012 Star spangled comfort: Wilford Hall displays Hero's Highway Flag 59th Medical Wing leaders conducted a ceremony at Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center Jan. 5, 2012, to officially hang a Hero's Highway Flag.And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall waveO'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!These words, the final two lines of the last verse of
Jan. 3, 2012 TRICARE offers several pharmacy options after Walgreens contract not renewed As of January 1, 2012, Walgreens will no longer be a TRICARE network provider. If a beneficiary fills a prescription at Walgreens after Dec. 31, 2011, they will pay 100% of the cost and will need to file a paper claim for non-network benefit reimbursement (with a higher cost share). Additional