Linebacker of the Week: A1C Joshi De La Torre

Photo By Senior Airman Emily Saxton | U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Joshi De La Torre, 36th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron warrior medicine technician, takes vital signs at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Nov. 29, 2023. The Team Andersen Linebacker of the Week recognizes outstanding enlisted, officer, civilian and total force personnel who have had an impact on achieving Team Andersen’s mission, vision and priorities. (U.S. Air Force photo illustration by Senior Airman Emily Saxton)  

ANDERSEN AFB, GUAM

11.29.2023

Story by Senior Airman Jasmine Barnes 

36th Wing

Andersen Air Force Base, Guam-- U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Joshi De La Torre, 36th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron warrior medicine technician, was recognized as the 36th Wing’s Team Andersen Linebacker of the Week, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Nov. 29, 2023.

The Team Andersen Linebacker of the Week recognizes outstanding enlisted, officer, civilian and total force personnel who have had an impact on achieving Team Andersen’s mission, vision and priorities.

As a warrior medicine technician, De La Torre fortifies high-reliability healthcare by performing patient intake, screening, and history for operational medicine beneficiaries. She executes clinical staff support protocols, physical assessments, minor procedures, and medication administration in accordance with Air Force Medical Home Vision and The Joint Commission standards. She manages quarterly medical peer reviews for 28 staff members and advises technicians and functional managers on trends and documentation errors. She also ensures optimized patient flow, validates appointments for two providers, conducts telephone consultations, daily scheduling, and preventative health services for the base population.

Since arriving to Andersen AFB, De La Torre worked as the sole medical technician for the busiest provider and medical director of the operational medicine clinic. She assists in an average of 90 patient appointments, 20 tele-medicine consults and 15 clinical protocols weekly, which generates $30,000 in medical care. Additionally, she reviews ten periodic health assessments which has contributed to the wing’s 94% readiness rate, ranking four out of 84 in the Air Force.

“My favorite part of my job is meeting all of my patients and genuinely caring about them,” said De La Torre. “I get to learn a lot and I love the patient interaction.”

De La Torre demonstrates the importance of leading people and improving the unit by facilitating medical group peer reviews, procedure logs and winning the wing’s Dorm Airman of the Quarter multiple times since arriving at Andersen AFB.

“It’s important to lead by example because everyone else will see how you’re working and replicate it,” said De La Torre. “Hopefully, I can be an example and they can do their job just like me or better.”

The term Linebacker is rooted deep within Team Andersen’s history. Operation Linebacker II took place on Dec. 18, 1972, and was the largest number of heavy bomber strikes launched by the U.S. Air Force since the end of World War II. During the operation, B-52s from Andersen flew round-the-clock bombing missions over North Vietnam to destroy major targets in Hanoi and Haiphong in an effort to bring the Democratic Republic of Vietnam back to negotiations.

The recipient will have the opportunity to sign a “Linebacker” football jersey that will be displayed in the Wing Headquarters building.

Way to go, De La Torre!

• Date Taken: 11.29.2023
• Date Posted: 12.07.2023 22:27
• Story ID: 459466
• Location: ANDERSEN AFB, GU