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Air Force officer honored by AAPA

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Rachel Martinez
  • 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --  When Capt. Timothy Harrelson deployed with a provincial reconstruction team to Afghanistan for a year, he knew his work as the team's physician assistant would have an effect on the local Afghans and those he served with. He didn't realize the impact it would have on his career.

Seven months, one Bronze Star and several news stories later, the impact on his career continued as Captain Harrelson was named the Outstanding Uniformed Services Physician Assistant of the Year by the Veterans Caucus of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.

The award came as a surprise to Captain Harrelson, who didn't know he had been nominated.

"I had no idea," said the Charlotte, N.C., native. "I got an e-mail from Col. [Cheryl] Gregorio, the medical group commander at Altus. She is familiar with the staff at AAPA. She sent me an e-mail saying I was selected to receive an award - a week before the ceremony. At first I didn't even know what the award was."

Captain Harrelson flew to San Diego to attend the AAPA annual conference. He accepted his award during a special Memorial Day ceremony with hundreds of civilian and military PAs from around the country.

"I wasn't prepared for the level of the award or the spectacle that goes along with it," he said. "The award encompasses all uniformed services in America. My initial reaction was, 'How do they know who I am?'"

In fact, Captain Harrelson didn't meet the person who nominated him until the day of the ceremony. A member of the AAPA Veterans Caucus had read an interview Captain Harrelson did with AAPA. Impressed by what he read, he gathered more information on Captain Harrelson and his accomplishments from the various news stories published. He submitted Captain Harrelson for recognition by the AAPA.

"It's a rare thing to be recognized with something you didn't know about, by someone you don't know," Captain Harrelson said. "I don't think it's often an active duty member wins a national-level award. It's an honor for me, but it is a tremendous opportunity for people to see what we do, not just as PAs, but as Air Force officers."

The PA career field has its roots in the military. In the mid 1960s, Navy corpsmen were trained as the first PAs. Since then, the role of PAs in America has grown, with military PAs playing a large role, according to Captain Harrelson.

"The people who have gone before me have set the standard for things I get to do now," he said. "The scope of care PAs are involved in now has grown; it's broadened due to military pioneering. We are taking a more prominent role in medicine and deployments. The military is putting PAs in roles and letting them develop and succeed. It's the key to growth and development throughout the profession. The experience we bring back in Air Force medicine is important in that we learn it and pass it on to younger generations of PAs."

Captain Harrelson was asked to give a speech at the AAPA conference following his award presentation. His speech centered on unity in service and his experience with a provincial reconstruction team.

"My name is on the award, but there isn't anything that was accomplished that I did by myself," he said. "Everything that was accomplished we did as a team. We accomplished a great deal - maybe uniquely so - but we did it as a team. Through medicine we can enhance the mission, and we made a tremendous difference."

A few of the accomplishments in Afghanistan Captain Harrelson was recognized for included providing clean water to more than 300 Afghan families, decreasing the pediatric mortality rate by 25% in local villages, and treating more than 30 wounded individuals and 800 Afghan civilians.

"You hope to leave a legacy ... hope to work on things that will endure," Captain Harrelson said. "All the attention we've gotten helps keep the focus on what generated that - that was the mission. And that's where the attention needs to be."

During the AAPA conference, Captain Harrelson made contact with several civilian PAs, many of whom perform humanitarian work around the world. He was able to exchange information and came out with a few new ideas.

"I'd love to go back to Afghanistan and do that mission again - I've got a few ideas for when I go back," he said. "The neat thing about the military is we get the opportunity to do the mission in places other people can't go.

"Everywhere you go there will be challenges to be met," he continued. "When you get there, find out what they need. The chances are good you can improve that if you have resources and the ability to do so - the only limitation is your imagination."