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59th Medical Wing receives Air Force Outstanding Unit Award

  • Published
  • By Sue Campbell
  • 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  The 59th Medical Wing was recently awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for the period of July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009.

"Even though the 59th Medical Wing has now won this award several years in a row, no one should think for a moment that these are automatic," said Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Tom Travis, commander, 59th MDW. "This winning streak is an amazing testament to the wing's level of sustained success and accomplishment during wartime and in the face of BRAC transformation. I am proud of this team every day, and this AFOUA is another well-deserved confirmation of this wing's mission focus and performance."

During this period, the wing sustained its critical support to Operations' enduring and iraqi freedom, led the largest trauma hospital in Iraq and the most formidable medical mobility commitment in the Air Force.

In addition to being the Air Force Medical Service's most deployed unit, the wing also executed 52 percent of all Air Education and Command's medical deployments and ensured the highest casualty survival rates in the history of modern warfare.

The wing received an overall "Excellent" rating during the Air Education and Training Command Unit Compliance Inspection, including 14 "Best Practices" and 0 "Marginal" findings, a first for the inspection team.

The wing has been the lead for the base realignment and closure-driven merger of two of the Department of Defense's largest medical centers into its largest inpatient center. The integration plan has been hailed by the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force as the model for integrating medical capabilities and preserving services.

The wing improved its world-class status for quality Graduate Medical Education programs with accreditation rates surging to 4.4 years and six programs earning perfect 5-year accreditations.

The 59th Medical Wing's 600 cutting-edge research studies have made tremendous impacts beyond the hospital. The wing executed the first Department of Defense invasive hypothermia post-cardiac arrest protocol and introduced telemedicine and stereolithography support into theatre hospitals.