Page1 AANGFS-AFRFSA NewsletterFall 2002
From MGen Dennis Higdon
ANG Assistant to the USAF Surgeon General
I want to briefly share a few thoughts with you as we pass the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our nation.
I am so proud to be a member of the National Guard. Great numbers of us were mobilized in support of both Operation Noble Eagle and Operation Enduring Freedom. You were all part of a great effort which resulted in the ouster of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and the start of a rebuilding process in that nation. We have seen the development of aDepartment of Homeland Security and the establishment of Northern Command, the first unified command whose AOR is the United States of America. In the ANG Medical Service we abandoned the old Cold War ATH unit configuration for the modular, rapid response
capability of the Air Force Expeditionary Medical Support (EMEDS) system. We are now poised to be of great value to our nation as medical support for our war fighters in the AEF or as a medical piece of the military plan for Homeland Security, should that mission come our way. The direction we take, of course, will be the decision of our leadership. Our new Director of the ANG, LtGen Daniel James III, has resolved that the Air Guard will be Ready, Reliable and Relevant for the tasks at hand.Our Air Surgeon, Col Randy Falk, has committed his Directorate to insure the ANG Medical Service is trained in every aspect of its mission. From Golden Egg benchmark programmatics at AMSUS to EMEDS training at Alpena to leadership seminars at Health Services Management at AsMA, our medical personnel will prepare for the challenges ahead.
I have great confidence in the ANG Assistants who represent us. They have established great working relationships with the major command leadership to which they are assigned. Our greatest challenge is to promote our value as medical professionals and at the same time to educate the active component to use us in a way that doesn't break us.
My sincere thanks to all of you for your outstanding support of our flyers.
My Vision and Initiatives for Our Alliance
BGen Annette Sobel,AANGFS President
In the Post-9/11 era, we have all changed, and so must the role way in which we do business in our Alliance. The core mission areas will remain unchanged: to provide a strong educational forum; to provide political advocacy; to support and respond to issues in the common interest and for the common good of the membership. However, as your President, I recognize the need for heightened responsiveness and “out-of-the-box” thinking and solutions. For example, expeditionary medical care will continue to evolve; we need your input. Our functional capacity will assess the full skill sets of our members, no matter how unique. Political issues will continue in their cycles of relevance to military medicine, and in particular, Air Reserve Component (ARC) medicine. We must embrace these issues in our Executive Leadership Forum. As the new Department of Homeland Security and Northcom are stood-up and take their seats at the table of the Global War on Terrorism, the mission of the ARC will undoubtedly morph to support these organizations.
The critical nature and emphasis on individual and unit preparedness and readiness training will continue to be center-stage. Our thirst for specialty education and training will diverge from traditional areas of military medicine into specialized areas such as agro terrorism and community preparedness, a National Guard-hosted educational workshop occurring in Oklahoma City this October (see registration information on page 6 in this issue). But we must not ignore the core issues of sustained education.
Most importantly, new partnerships will continue to emerge. Some of these partnerships may appear nontraditional, but may demonstrate merit in the long-run. Many of these partnerships have been forged through our Civil Support Teams, and present opportunities for our medical communities at-large. Within the scope of our community and state activities, new opportunities for strengthening and adding-value will become apparent. We must search for ways in which these opportunities can augment our core mission areas in Today’s Air Force. This is a role for our Alliance, to build partnerships, strengthen communication, and look for ways in which our individual skills can support our aggregate goals. As your President, both I and your Executive Leadership, are a sounding board for your ideas. Our focus must be how we can make the Post-9/11 era a period of rebuilding, continued relevance, and continued learning for all of us.
(Excellent articulation of our AANGFS mission and goals, WWP, editor)
Alliance Officers
President: BGen Annette Sobel, NM ANG
P. O. Box 1507
TijerasNM87059-1507
Email:
Vice-President: LtCol Brett Wyrick, HIANG
1155 Waialeale Place
Hilo, HI 96720
Treasurer: Col Kirk Martin, FLANG
8489 Stables Road
Jacksonville, FL 32256
Email:
Secretary: LtCol William Pond, INANG
5730 Autumn Woods Trail
Fort Wayne, IN 46835
Email:
Newsletter Editor: LtCol William Pond, INANG
5730 Autumn Woods Trail
Fort Wayne, IN 46835
Email:
Program Committee: Col Harold Robinson (AMSUS)
Col Bruce Guerdan (HSM/AsMA)LtCol Kirk Martin
Education Committee: LtCol Ralph Warren
Historian: LtCol Brett Wyrick
Web site: LtCol Reid Muller
Nominating Committee: Richard Terry
“I Don’t Recognize That Uniform”
As I was traveling last month while TDY, I happened to be changing planes in a civilian airport. I was wearing my Air Force uniform, and as I was standing in line about to board the aircraft one of the gate agents pulled me aside. She asked for identification and I gave her my government ID card with a picture photo identifying me as an Air Force officer.
That’s when I became more interested. This government employee then searched me with the metal detecting wand, and asked me why I was wearing the metal insignia (my rank and my wings) and commented that she did not recognize either the ID card or the uniform, but did apologize for the inconvenience and allowed me to board the civilian airliner.
That set me thinking. How many people like this well-intentioned worker do not recognize the uniform of the Armed Forces of our own country? Is it really important that anyone knows what we look like, how we dress and who we are, or even what we do?
At present, the population of the United States has only about one-fifth of one percent of the national population wearing the uniform of the Air Force, including the Guard, Reserve, and Active force. Not very many folks, and it really is no wonder that the Transportation Security worker explained, “I don’t recognize that uniform” when seeing it in the airport.
I have worn a military uniform for thirty years. My father wore one during the Korean conflict, and my son wears one as a member of the Air Guard. It is not as flashy as a football or other athletic outfit and it has fewer attachments than many law enforcement or emergency medical uniforms. It’s a pretty low-key outfit.
Let us as Americans pay more attention to those wearing the uniform of the military. Those uniforms have been there throughout our history; a strong national defense is what allows us to enjoy the essence of American society and democracy. Without it would we have been able to survive? Those military uniforms and the power they represent provide a significant deterrent to countless terrorists and criminals, to people who are threatened by America and its ideals of democracy and fairness and individual worth.
Gerald E. Harmon
18 September 2002
NEWS FROM 4TH AIR FORCE SG
We have had a busy year at Fourth, as have all you folks. Lots of events to come, lots of activities in the news – point is no one knows where we are going tomorrow. We need to concentrate on being ready and making sure our wings and units are ready.
Just a note to let you know that our SGP staff has expanded. Col Charles O’Toole has joined Chief Yarbrough in that section. They are here to help and answer your questions. Feel free to utilize them.
Hot items:
- Occupational medicine – currently we have a real need to focus on this item. All units have shops that require occupational health surveillance. We may have active duty on base but they may not be doing our reservist or all of our shops. It is the flight surgeons job to assure that all our people are monitored and that all our shops have been checked for the need for surveillance.
- RCPHA- currently we are about one year into RCPHA. Currently we have almost 8000 people who have done their RCPHA but have still not had the process completed and been certified WWD qualified. You as flight surgeons need to take a primary role in assuring that all you personnel have their RCPHA completed all the way thru the FAM going in and doing final review to certify them for WWD qualification. This critical and must be completed.
- Profiles and LODs - With all the recent activations and activities, there has been a flurry of injuries and illnesses. Flight surgeons need to look at the individuals and make sure the process is flowing properly. These folks need LODs (348s) initiated as soon as possible. They should all have some time of profile with a realistic termination date as to when the process will be healed, resolved or administratively dealt with. Most importantly these folks need to be tracked, and the reserve flight surgeons need to take an active role in tracking the progress of these individuals thru their care or administratively resolve their problems. This is part of our primary jobs both as advocates for the members and advocates for the United States Air Force Reserve. As they say “it’s what they pay us the big bucks for.”
There probably are other items we could cover, but these are the big ones that need every flight surgeon’s attention at this point. Look forward to another productive year. We at 604th SG are here to help. Hope to see you at AMSUS.
Col Steven Task4th AF 604th/SG
Colonel Larry M. Allen
President
Association of USAF Reserve Flight Surgeons
“Cooperate and Graduate”, that was told to my classmates and me over and over by the upperclassmen during my freshman year at the Academy. I did not know exactly what they meant. After all, I thought that I had gotten there by being the best and competing for the appointment. Now, I was supposed to cooperate! I wanted to excel and show them that I was the best. Not so! I quickly learned that I was surrounded by the best and brightest that our country had to offer. Not that it was any different at your school. So, exactly what did this “cooperate and graduate” phrase mean?
I later used it when I was one of those “been there, done that” upperclassmen. It has taken me many years to know exactly what those few words really meant. Well after many leadership seminars and listening to many tremendous briefings from our distinguished leaders and scholars, maybe I am beginning to understand what those wise-before-their-time upperclassmen were trying to teach me. If we cooperate, we will succeed. If we don’t, we won’t or it will be much harder. I truly believe that what makes America strong and successful is cooperation and not competition. After all, who ever heard of an army winning a war that was fighting or competing among itself? On the contrary, I do not know of any army in history that has won the war when there was serious strife in the ranks.
I applaud the efforts of everyone involved in the cooperative efforts of the Guard and Reserve. I truly believe that what make organizations strong and productive are cooperation, communication, and coordination. The combined briefings at AMSUS were a precursor to the combined information in the Newsletter. We are today more that ever members of the same team. I have met many Flight Surgeons who have been in both the Guard and the Reserve. I say this even as members of my Medical Squadron are involved in overseas deployments working side-by-side with Guard, Reserve, and Active personnel. Talk about diversity at work.
It is my personal hope and desire that we continue to work together for the betterment of both organizations. Please feel free to contact me at any time regarding this or any other issues.
Dear Editor:
The PME issue certainly affects me as one who has 27 years of reserve affiliation, 5 years of service left until retirement eligibility, and who will become either MDS CO or State Air Surgeon within 18 months. If Air War College is going to be mandatory for promotion to O-6, there needs to be something creative done for those of us who practice and take call full time as well as sacrifice our vacation time and weekends off to take care of our Guard responsibilities. There should be options for us to do our classes at least part time in residence as an alternative to doing it as a 100% correspondence course. This TDY needs to be instead of, not in addition to, our two weeks AT with the MDS. I would rather sacrifice a year or two of vacation time than subject my family to a take home course. There also needs to be an option for us to extend the time line for completing the course. Our admin officer tells me that AWC is 18 months. Why can’t we have the option of24 or 30 months if needed? I actually looked into AWC a couple years ago since I am interested in the subject matter. After hearing my Admin Officer’s experience with it, I changed my mind. I decided I couldn’t ask my family to endure yet another of my voluntary commitments. Having said all this, the youngest of our 6 children has just left for college. I will be at least talking to our Wing training NCOIC next weekend to get the details as they currently exist, but I am not optimistic about these home study courses at all. I am concerned about how this policy change will affect retention and recruiting within our ranks as it’s already a hard enough sell. Until a year ago,I had been the only Flight Doc in our Wing for ~18 months. I will be attending AMSUS for the first time this year so I’m sure I’ll be hearing and speaking more about this.
LTC Dave Andrew
Chief, Flight Medicine
101st MDS
ANG, Bangor, Maine
Dear Dr. Pond,
I would be very happy to see BruceStocks recognized for his very good work as a Weasel and as an all around good Fighter Pilot. You should get in touch with Frank Moyers, AKA Talking Bear, who was Bruce'sEWO in '67 and who was in the pit when Bruce was wounded. You can contact him through the Weasel net or at . He wouldbe the very best.
My PooPoo is:
Lt.Col (Ret) Bill Sparks- F-105 pilot from '61 through '69. I have 2250 total hours in theThud that includes 145 combat sorties over North Vietnam in '65 and '67.69 were as a Strike pilot and 76 were as a Weasel.100+were in RP-6 and I was lead Weasel 47 times in RP-6. My Bear was Carlo Lombardo, AKA Grouchy Bear, and we were credited with 5 photo confirmed SAM site kills (Secondary fires and explosions inside the outer missile ring). I was shot down on my 145th and lastsortie, as a strike pilot leading a 4 ship flight to Phuc Yen airfield. I was rescued fromsome VERY tall Bamboo about 13 miles downstream from Yen Bai and less than 1 mile southwest of the Red River.The CH-3Epulled off what was then the furthest north rescue of the war. Harry Walker, AC, wasawesome on that day. I served in USAFE, TAC, and PACAF and was lucky enough to commandthe 35TFS at Kunsan in '74. I retired after my 4th tour at Nellis in '77with a hair under 4,000 hoursflying time with 750 in the F-100, 2250 in the thud, 450in Canadian F-104's, 300 in the F-4D/E, the rest inpilot training and dogs and cats.I would be interested in seeing the article when it is finished. Sparky
(Sparky—we are truly fortunate and proud to be associated with warriors such as yourself. Thanks for reminding us of our heritage and why we exist, WWP, editor.)
Dear Dr. Pond,
“I am now a retiree of the Air National Guard. Being a member of the Alliance of ANG Flight Surgeons has been a pleasant & rewarding experience.” Sincerely,
LtCol Charles N. Hatfied, 134MDS
In the AANGFS Membership Questionnaire, the following were asked:
- Should the fitness standards be changed and what will be the impact?
- What is the impact of requiring PME for promotion to commander positions?
- Since gynecologic exams have been eliminated from enlistment exams unless indicated, should the same standard be applied to examination of heart, hernias, testicles, ears, etc?
- Should medical standards for continued service be relaxed?
- What advice would experienced flight surgeons give to their junior colleagues?
Elicited the following: