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  • Medical memories from Dec. 7, 1941: Attack on Pearl Harbor

    From the first moments of the attack until the close of the day, Hickam's small new hospital, which had opened only a few weeks before, was the focal point of activity on the base. Capt Frank H. Lane, the acting hospital commander, was an Army Air Forces flight surgeon who lived with his wife,

  • This Month in AFMS History: Caribbean Air Command

    For more than 20 years, the Caribbean Air Command was one of the smallest Air Force Major Commands in terms of personnel and resources, although it effectively covered one of the largest geographical areas of operations in the world. Air Force Medical Service personnel were key players in the

  • This Month in AFMS History: Spotlighting Lt. Gen. Alexander “Rusty” Sloan

    Dr. Alexander “Rusty” Sloan never entertained the idea of becoming the Air Force Surgeon General. Throughout his career, Sloan even tried to avoid serving at the Pentagon; however, he excelled at every assignment, pushing him quickly up into the ranks and putting him on the path to becoming the 14th

  • World War I and the beginnings of aviation medicine

    United States involvement in World War I began April 6, 1917. For the U.S. military, aviation medicine began in May 1917 when the U.S. Army appointed Lt. Col. (Dr.) Theodore C. Lyster, often called the father of aviation medicine, as the first service member dedicated to aviation-related medicine.

  • This Month in AFMS History: Malcolm Grow and the 1934 Alaskan Flight

    Before Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Malcolm C. Grow became the first surgeon general of the U.S. Air Force, he was already well-known for his medical activities.  Grow was a recognized leader in creating unique equipment, such as armored vests and electric gloves, to help the flyers during World War II.  He was

  • Creation of the first Central Medical Establishment in World War II

    In the early days of World War II, Eighth Air Force Surgeon, Col. Malcolm C. Grow, grew concerned about the mental and physical well-being of aircrews within the command. To address these concerns, he first created a ‘Care of the Flyer’ section on his staff. Shortly thereafter, with the help of Col.

  • Portraits in Courage: SOST

    While deployed in support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE, this Special Operations Surgical Team (SOST) provided care for more than 750 patients, managed 19 mass casualty events, performed 16 life-saving surgeries, and cared for casualties exposed to chemical weapons.The team moved by ground convoy

  • New post-traumatic stress research at USSOCOM, MacDill AFB

    Medical professionals from United States Special Operations Command and the 6th Medical Group are partnering to provide a new, noninvasive treatment for post-traumatic stress at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.The treatment uses Magnetic Electroencephalogram Resonance Therapy (MeRT,) which is a

  • This Month in AFMS History: Operation NEW TAPE in the Congo

    In July 1960, the United States Air Force in Europe and the Military Air Transport Service began an airlift that eventually evacuated 2,540 refugees from the Republic of the Congo, and became the largest airlift since the Berlin Airlift. The Belgian Congo, a colony in West Central Africa belonging

  • Dr. William Randolph “Randy” Lovelace II First Leap a Record

    For nearly a decade, Dr. William Randolph “Randy” Lovelace II diligently researched the problems faced by pilots as they flew higher and faster. His work at the Aeromedical Field Laboratory at Wright-Field in Dayton, Ohio paid off in 1943 with the development of a high-altitude oxygen mask.On June

  • First Flight Nurse of the Year Award

    On May 5, 1968, the Aerospace Medical Association established the “Flight Nurse of the Year award.  The first recipient, Maj. Virginia M. Alena, received a trophy, a wrist watch, and a $500 honorarium from the sponsor of the award, Douglas Aircraft Company. She was recognized for her work as the

  • This month in AFMS History: Operation Little Switch

    On April 20, 1953, Operation Little Switch marked the first successful efforts toward ending hostilities in Korea and ultimately set in motion the Korean War Armistice. Nine days earlier at Panmunjom, talks between Commander in Chief, General Mark W. Clark, Premier Kim Il Sung, and Chinese General

  • This Month in AFMS History: Sealed Cabin Simulator

    In March 1956, Airman D.F. Smith spent 24 hours sealed inside the Space Cabin Simulator at the United States Air Force School of Aviation Medicine (USAFSAM), Randolph Air Force Base, Tex.  The reason? The dream of manned space flight.The Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union

  • 40 Years Ago: Last Nurse Survivor of Bataan Still on Active Duty Retires

    Air Force Lt. Col. Helen M. Hennessey retired Jan. 31, 1967, after 27 years of military service. Hennessey was the last remaining active duty Air Force nurse to have been amongst those who served at the Battle of Bataan in 1941.    Hennessey joined the Army in November 1940 and was assigned to the

  • ‘Operation Babylift’ Cheney Award recipient visits C-5 Wing

    On April 4, 1975, just a few weeks before the fall of Saigon and end of the Vietnam War, the first military flight of “Operation Babylift” out of Saigon on a C-5 cargo aircraft, crashed right after take-off. There were close to 300 hundred people on board, mostly children under the age of two that

  • 60th Anniversary of Dependent Care

    The Dependents’ Medical Care Act, effective since Dec. 7, 1956, enabled dependents of military personnel to be treated by civilian doctors in cases of pregnancy, serious injuries, or illnesses requiring hospitalization. The law also opened up medical facilities of all services and the U.S. Public