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Show HeadsUp 2004 April 15, Flight docs -- more than just critical care in the air To many, the term "flight surgeon" is primarily associated with the health care of members of flight crews. In the Air Force Reserve, however, this is not the case, according to Col. James McGreevy, Chief of Aerospace Services for the 419th Medical Squadron. "The primary responsibility of flight surgeons in a reserve wing is to maintain a deployable force," he said. Col McGreevy, Maj. Mark Snyder, Maj. Joseph Albano and Maj. Brian Duncan attend to the health concerns of all members of the wing, not just pilots. During the Unit Training Assemblies, the flight surgeons for the 419th FW review Reserve Health Component Physical Assessments that members fill out prior to their annual physicals. They review health concerns of members. If any problems are brought to a doctor's attention, they review the concern on a case by case basis to determine if the problem can be dealt with at the wing level or if it must be reviewed by the Air Force Reserve Command. In addition to attending to the health concerns of all members of the wing, the flight surgeons must attend to the special medical needs of pilots in the wing. "There are special health considerations that must be given to members of the flight crew," Colonel McGreevy said. The standards are stricter for pilots who fly fighter aircraft than they are for members who fly in heavies, he noted. "In a reserve unit, pilots are not here daily," Colonel McGreevy pointed out. This creates an increased communication channel between pilots and the flight surgeons. As pilots seek medical attention from doctors outside of the Air Force, they must ensure they maintain the requirements to be allowed to continue to fly. Colonel McGreevy said that the most important part of his job while working with the pilots is to maintain a trusting relationship with his patients. "If they don't have confidence and trust in us, they may not come to us with everything first," he said. He said that a multitude of factors can play into a pilot being grounded. Seemingly minor medical conditions to a antibiotics that appear innocuous could have a variety of affects on a pilot, affecting fatigue to the ability to handle a high gravity atmosphere. The flight surgeons log flight hours in the aircraft with pilots. While flying, they focus their attention of the stresses and the health conditions in the aircraft so they are aware of what their patients experience first hand. The third obligation of the flight surgeons in the 419th FW is to maintain a deployable medical staff that is prepared to operate in a deployed atmosphere. Specifically for flight chiefs, this means observing and advising flight crew who are working in raised stress atmosphere. "ss i W - ' . 1 J- 419th FW Public Affairs Office The 2004 Air Force Assistance Fund "Commitment to Caring" campaign is underway service wide and at Hill Air The campaign, which Force Base. runs through May 7, gives Air Force members the chance to support their Air Force family by contributing to d charities. any of four Air Force-relate- For more than 61 years the AFAF has benefited members of the active-dut- y, Reserve, Guard, retired Air Force members, surviving spouses, and their families. "Requests assistance tinued at els since 11, 2001. the Air Society r, Colonel McGreevy said that the 419th benefits from flight surgeons who boast in depth experience in the medical field. "Often time in the military, doctors join immediately following their residency," he said. "The experience and specialties we all bring from our civilian occupations offers a different perspective on medical issues." Typical career path for flight surgeons - Undergraduate degree (extra classes in biology & anatomy for - Medical school pre-me- d) - One-ye- internship - Board Certification (Residency) - Aerospace Medicine Primary Course (7 weeks), Brooks AFB, Texas - Unit assignment (2-- 3 years) ar They offer interest free programs. loans, grants (short term) or one-tim- e emergencies; food, rent, and utilities. Base family support centers have full details on programs and eligibility requirements. The Air Force Village Indigent Widows' Fund provides financial assistance to widows and widowers of Air Force active and retired officers and also supports the Wilford Hall Medical Center bone marrow transplant program. helped 30,000 airmen with over $22.6 million in assistance- - that's a lot of help!" said retired Lt. Gen. Mike McGinty, Air Force Aid Society chief executive officer. "Contributions are vital for the society to sustain this kind of help- - it is truly an airmen-helping-airm- en pro nt ".. Col. James McGreevy, 419th Medical Squadron, Air Force reviews instructions governing Medicine Aerospace while performing duty with the 466th Fighter Squadron recently. v" is .' i The Air Force Enlisted Foundation also helps widows of enlisted Air Force members who find themselves living in poverty after the death of their spouse. Some of the assistance provided. includes rent subsidies and free transportation to hospitals The Gen. and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation cares for widowed spouses of active-dut- y or retired Air Force members of all ranks by offering financial grants. They provide assistance for as long as it is required. Annual fundraising campaigns make these charities to help Air Force members and their families in times of need. "While pay problems incident to activation decreased, there was an increase in requests for help to stabilize Reserve and Guard members when they deactivated," said CMSgt. Scott Hennessy, 419th Fighter Wing command chief. 419th members have benefited from the charities in ways such as receiving funds for emergency home repairs when a deployed reservist's house was flooded, giving grant assistance to purchase medical special equipment that will allow a reservist with medical problems to drive his automobile, and covering basic living expenses for a recently deactivated reservist who wasn't scheduled to receive civilian pay for several weeks. "We encourage each individual member of the 4 9th Fighter Wing to give as much as possible to the Air Force Assistance Fund either through payroll deduction or cash donations," Chief Hennessey said. "The wing commander has set a very obtainable goal for the 419th Fighter Wing of one dollar per person," the chief added. "We began our efforts towards that goal during the Unit Training Assembly and We hope to achieve two-thirof our goal by the May drill weekend as our members continue to give unselfishly when April called upon." I 'J""" 6. it possible for collected $421. the remaining 1 Colonel McGreevy is a certified aircrew member with more than 650 hours of flight time primarily in the (Photo by Maj. James R. Wilson) 1 Enlisted Foundation, Inc., and the jtF, File photo for Gen. and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation Indigent Widow's Fund. The Air Force Aid Society, the official charity of the Air Force, provides airmen and their families with worldwide emergency financial assistance, education assistance and an array of base level community-enhanceme- - Joe Albano is one of five flight surgeons assigned to the 419th Medical Squadron. The primary Job of a flight surgeon is patient care. However, many of these physicians are also responsible for managing programs like immunizations or occupational medical safety and assisting in the training other health care professionals. have conrecord levSeptember Last year Force Aid The annual AFAF drive supports four Air Force charities: the Air Force Aid Society, the Air Force Village Indigent Widows Fund, the Air Force ' A' Left Maj. (Dr.) . gram." ' - t Reservists can benefit from Air Force Assistance Fund by Andrea Sarras v 1 ds Reserve officals say new employer database key to understanding needs by Senior Airman Julianne Hancock 419th FW Public Affairs Office The Department of Defense announced the implementation of the Civilian Employment Information program beginning March 31, 2004. The. mandatory program requires all members of the Armed Forces Reserve and Guard to register their civilian employer's name and address and describe their position with a job code prescribed by the Department of Defense. In the 10 mandatory fields, the Department of Defense will identify information to assist the department in giving "consideration to civilian employment necessary to maintaining national health, safety and interest when considering members for recall," according to officials. In addition, the data collected will be used to ensure that members with critical civilian skills are not retained in numbers beyond those needed for military duty. According to a study done by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs in 2002, the General Accounting Office was "flooded with questions and complaints concerning the reemployment rights of reservists who had been away from their jobs during the war," following the 1991 Gulf War. Prior to the events of September 11, 2001, it was unclear, however, if the Department of Defense could justify mandatory collection of employment information with regards to the Privacy Act. This law requires all information collected under mandate to be "relevant and necessary to accomplish the purpose of the agency." Following September 1 1, it was decided that the collection of employer information was necessary for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve to complete its tasks. The ESGR will utilize the data in a variety of ways. According to the Department of Defense, several applications have already been identified, including surveying employers attitudes, developing relationships with employers and providing support to employers while members are mobilized. The 419th Fighter Wing's Command Chief Master Sergeant Scott Hennessy encouraged members of the 4 1 9th FW to comply with the directive without concern of members relationships with their employer. "Although supplying this information is required by directive, nothing will change with regards to how or when employers are contacted," Chief Hennessy said. Although the information will be centrally located in a federal database, Chief Hennessy reminded members that the chain of command starts at the lowest level. "If a member has a problem with their employer, they should , speak with me," he advised. "Until requested, the employer will not be contacted," he assured. The deadline for entering employer information into the database is Dec. 31, 2004. Members w ho refuse to comply with the regulation face punishment under Article 92 of the United Code of Military Justice. |