Photo By Mary-Dale Amison | During the Sept.16 tour of the Operation Healthy Delta care site in Caruthersville,...... read more read more
Distinguished visitors representing the Secretary of the Air Force visited the Operation Healthy Delta 2017 Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) exercise taking place in Caruthersville and Charleston, Missouri, Sept. 16.
The objective of the visit was to oversee the development, coordination and implementation of the IRT activities, ensure compliance with guidance and policy requirements, and assist the components with policy and financial issues that may have created roadblocks.
Equally important, the visitors gained first-hand knowledge of how the team of Operation Healthy Delta IRT was supporting underserved areas of southeast Missouri, who need quality medical care. More than 140 joint service health care professionals at two care sites are providing no-cost medical, dental, and ophthalmology services, including eyeglasses, between Sept. 13 and Sept 21. For the first time, U.S. Air Force active duty dentists and dental technicians joined this effort.
“It’s a great partnership we’re developing between the Air National Guard, Reserves, and the active duty for these IRTs, and it’s evolving,” said Col. Brian LeHew, advisor to the deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for reserve affairs and Airman readiness. “The diversity of our staffing, collaboration between the teams, and the professionalism here between Guard, Reserves, and active duty has been phenomenal. We hope this becomes viral with our active duty dentists here at Operation Healthy Delta going home and telling their co-workers and bosses about the great experiences and training they’ve received while helping in the community.”
Chief Master Sgt. Cathy Dugas, senior enlisted advisor to the deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for reserve affairs and Airman readiness had nothing but praise for the professionals working Operation Healthy Delta. “This IRT had some initial challenges due to our ability to release funds in time for the project to be completed at its original date in May.” said Dugas. “But this leadership team forged ahead, met those challenges and made Operation Healthy Delta IRT successful. During my visit I was amazed on how quickly this diverse group of individuals developed into a team and got the clinics up and running in only two days.”
During the tour of both facilities, Dugas and Lehew met with members at each site and coined two who went above and beyond. Technical Sgt. Michelle Christie, a dental technician with the 173rd Medical Group, Oregon Air National Guard at the Charleston site and Staff Sgt. Ashton Atkins, the public health noncommissioned officer in charge at the Caruthersville site from the 124th Fighter Wing, Idaho Air National Guard received a recognition coin from Dugas.
The Missouri Air National Guard’s 131st Bomb Wing, in partnership with the Air National Guard, Navy Reserve, Air Force and the Delta Regional Authority, is the lead unit for Operation Healthy Delta IRT. By providing health care support to residents in Southeast Missouri, military members can meet training and readiness requirements all while giving back to the community.
“There is so much good going on here,” she said. “The two sites are working as one, training and providing care for the betterment of area residents even though the teams are geographically separated by 60 miles between care sites. They are doing a great job.”
| Date Taken: | 09.16.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 09.20.2017 14:11 |
| Story ID: | 248967 |
| Location: | CARUTHERSVILLE, MISSOURI, US |
| Web Views: | 296 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Operation Healthy Delta IRT welcomes distinguished visitors to Southeastern Missouri, by Mary-Dale Amison, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
