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Joining Forces: Air Force Reserve squadron boosts naval medical care in San Diego

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Sean Evans
  • 514th Air Mobility Wing
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  

The 514th Aeromedical Staging Squadron of the 514th Air Mobility Wing, recently spent their annual tour at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, where they worked alongside their Navy counterparts in the intensive care unit and emergency department for two weeks.

Capt. Kandace D. Fantroy, a clinical nurse with the 514th ASTS, was the officer in charge of the Airmen on annual tour at the Navy’s largest West Coast hospital. According to Fantroy, the primary objective of the mission was to accomplish training requirements and provide the Airmen with real world experience of delivering medical care to patients. 

“There are certain tasks we have to confirm that we are proficient in, so when the mission calls for us to be deployed or help out in any training capacity, our Airmen are ready,” Fantroy said. “Our clinic at home is not a full-fledged hospital like this, so we don't get inpatient experience there.  This gives them a well-rounded look at what their jobs entail.”

Reserve Citizen Airmen with the 514th Aeromedical Staging Squadron, 514th Air Mobility Wing, pose for a photo at the Naval Medical Center, San Diego, Calif., on July 19, 2024.

Reserve Citizen Airmen with the 514th Aeromedical Staging Squadron, 514th Air Mobility Wing, pose for a photo at the Naval Medical Center, San Diego, Calif., on July 19, 2024. The Airmen of the 514th ASTS spent their annual tour at the Naval Medical Center to provide medical care, meet training requirements, and implement their medical skills in a real world setting.
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Tech. Sgt. Nina Anstatt, a medical technician with the 514th ASTS, worked in the emergency room during her time at the Navy Medical Center. She said they were fully immersed with the staff there, reporting to morning huddles, working directly with nurses and corpsmen on the floor.

 “Whether it was intravenous blood draw or EKGs, we did anything to help out the Navy corpsman,” Anstatt said. “They learned that we were civilian nurses as well and trusted us with whatever needed to be done.” 

Annstat described the significance of her training at home station, explaining how it prepared her for this annual tour.

“At Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, we are consistently practicing our craft and meeting our routine training requirements,” Anstatt said. “We’re able to apply those skills here with a large number of patients because we always make sure our skills are up to date.” 

Fantroy said the presence of the 514th ASTS had a significant impact on both patients and staff at the Naval Medical Center.

“It helped them with their patient movement, especially in a fast-paced emergency department like this,” she said. “Any hospital can use extra help, and our Airmen are already well trained and ready to go.”

Tech. Sgt. Taryn Williams, a medical technician with the 514th ASTS, also shared her view on the importance of their work in San Diego and the significant impact they had on facilitating  patient care.

“We started right after the Fourth of July holiday so there were a lot of patients and not enough medical staff. Some of those patients were severely sick,” Williams said. “Additionally, the knowledge and skills we possess were invaluable because we didn't need to spend time on training, which would have slowed us down significantly.” 

Williams said their team of Airmen integrated seamlessly with the staff at the Naval Medical Center, which allowed them to provide comprehensive care and achieve their training goals. 

“The staff here has been amazing, they are very hands-on with us,” she described. “They allowed us to really get involved from the start because they trusted us, which allows us to focus on performing our duties.”

For Annstat, the most rewarding aspect of this mission has been her interaction with patients.

“It’s why I’m in the medical field, I like to help people and provide care for them,” Annstat said. “Any situation where I’m helping make people feel better is rewarding.” 

Similarly, Williams reflected on her experience.

“I’ve seen a patient with dementia, children, adults, geriatric patients, and mental health patients,” she said. “The diversity of patients has been valuable to our training because if it wasn't for our experience here, some of our Airmen wouldn’t be as familiar with patient interaction.” 

Looking ahead, Fantroy emphasized the broader implications of this mission. The 514th ASTS has performed annual tours at the San Diego Naval Medical Center in the past and she hopes her Airmen will get the opportunity again in the future. 

“This annual tour is an opportunity to network with the Navy and see how their medical system operates,” Fantroy said. “Every time we come out here working shoulder to shoulder with the Navy, we get a chance to increase our skills, build camaraderie, and develop efficient joint service cohesion.”