Aerospace Medical Flight earns Reserve Command award

  • Published
  • By Air Force Capt. Ashley Norris
  • 477th FG Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Members of the 477th Aerospace Medical Flight earned the Team Aerospace Award from Air Force Reserve Command.

Air Force Col. Stephen Baker, Commander of the 477th AMDF, accepted the award from the AFRC Command Surgeon Col. Brian Masterson and the AF Deputy Surgeon General, Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Byron Hepburn.

"It was exhilarating to be presented this award by the AFRC command surgeon and the AF deputy surgeon general," Baker said.

This award covers accomplishments from October 2008 through September 2009, which was the first full year since the 477th Fighter Group and AMDF stood up.

"Receiving the award affirmed all the hard work by so many who are often doing jobs outside their AFSCs because those positions had not yet been given to us," Baker said. He explained that nurses, medical technicians and records custodians all worked outside their specialties.

All unit members came together and worked hard to build the flight from the ground up and accomplish the mission, Baker said.

Approximately 15 months after standing up one of the unit's squadrons mobilized.
It was one of the biggest challenges that the AMDF had to overcome, said Baker.

The medical flight also stood up a Self Aid and Buddy Care and a Basic Life Support program so that all 130 deploying Airmen could receive the required training in-house.
They also cleared them all medically to meet mobility requirements.

They had unique challenges, said Baker, since they were the first-ever total force integrated medical flight to support the F-22.

"There is an amazing work ethic with a willingness to move forward even when the path ahead is not well trod," said Baker of his Airmen.

Baker attributes this award to his Airmen's hard work and the 477th AMDF is proud to boast the Outstanding Aerospace Medicine Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year for 2009, Staff Sgt. Sammy Jefferey.

Jefferey is a trained flight medicine technician and helped with mobilization, flight records, physical standards, medical records reviews and standing up the flight.

"She had to do all the medical records reviews for the deployment," said Baker.

She was a positive person and hard-worker; she influenced morale and did great things, said Baker.

Jefferey has since moved on and become a recruiter for AFRC but both she and the 477th AMDF will go forward to compete at the Air Force level for their respective awards.