This time last year, as the world was trying to wrap its head around an unknown and unforgiving new enemy, Air Force nurses and medical technicians found themselves on the front lines of COVID-19.
Air Force nurses and technicians have remained battle-tested and ready for a fight like this. Saving lives amid insurmountable odds and in the face of unprecedented challenges is what Air Force nurses and technicians remain ready for. The COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on their incredible resilience and dedication to their fellow service members, their patients and their nation.
This week, the Air Force Medical Service recognizes the continued contribution, sacrifice and dedication of its nurses and technicians. These Airmen continue to raise the bar on what it means to serve as an Air Force medic.
A short sample of some of the stories showcasing the work of Air Force nurses and technicians in the past year are highlighted below.
Deployed to nation hotspots
Nurses and technicians deployed to some of the hardest hit areas to provide additional support in overrun hospitals. With short notice, nurses and technicians worked tirelessly alongside sister services and their civilian counterparts to provide critical support when and where the nation needed them.
Air Force Maj. Tynikka Houston, an operating room nurse with the 59th Surgical Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, deployed in May 2020 as an Individual Mobilization Augmentee assigned to New York Health Hospitals Jacobi. She was assigned to an intensive care unit there to care for COVID-19 patients.
"We basically go wherever they need us," she said.
When the Federal Emergency Management Agency requested additional medical support in North Dakota's hospitals, critical care nurses primarily fulfilled that vital need.
"A short notice CONUS deployment tasking in support of the NORTHCOM combatant commander to fight a pandemic is unprecedented for this medical group," said Air Force Col. Matthew Hanson, 96th Medical Group commander at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
"This time, we can't shoot or even see the enemy. We will gown up in our [personal protective equipment] and do our best," said Air Force Capt. Ronald Golemboski, a 96th Health Care Operations Squadron nurse, who had previously deployed to combat zones.