Photo By Kevin Larson | Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield emergency medical services chief Jim Ochoa briefs...... read more read more
For the over 200,000 acres encompassing Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield, Jim Ochoa is the calm in the storm, the steady hand guiding the critical first moments of a medical crisis. As chief of emergency medical services, Ochoa doesn't just manage a team; he orchestrates a lifeline, ensuring that when the unthinkable happens, a well-equipped and highly trained ambulance crew is ready to make every second count. His first responder colleagues also praise him for his role as a mentor, friend, leader, and community servant.
In his role as the EMS chief, Ochoa is responsible for the overall operation of the medical response assets on the military installation, ensuring the fleet of three ambulances are staffed with at least one paramedic each around the clock and ready to respond all day, every day, to any number of situations.
“We’re trained to provide care to a full range of patients—from infants to the elderly,” he said. “We handle emergencies in pediatrics, obstetrics, trauma, cardiac, and more. My responsibility is to make sure that when someone calls 911, a capable, well-equipped, and prepared ambulance crew responds promptly.
“In an emergency, seconds matter.”
Sometimes those emergencies include talking someone off of the edge, an event both medical services and police departments encounter almost daily. Law enforcement operations officer Maj. Richard Barrick, said the assistance Ochoa and team provide to police in instances like those is invaluable.
“If it were not for his dedication and training of his personnel we would not have such a success rate in getting people to the hospital to receive the proper care they require,” said the Department of the Army civilian police officer.
The hospital Ochoa and his team most often bring people needing care to is Fort Stewart’s military treatment facility, Winn Army Community Hospital. The hospital is working toward its re-designation as a level four trauma center and provides critical care for its beneficiaries, both inpatient and, when needed, sending patients to higher levels of care.
Winn director and Stewart-Hunter U.S. Army Medical Department commander Col. Margaret Berryman lauded Ochoa's critical role in ensuring that continuity of care, which, in turn, directly contributes to military readiness.
“Jim's leadership in EMS is paramount to our being a medically ready force and ensuring ready medical forces," Berryman said. "His team's dedication ensures our Soldiers can focus on their mission, whether deployed or in the training area, knowing their families are in safe hands. Jim is a key part of the 'Winn'ing Team and keeps all of us ready and resilient.”
Being ready and resilient is second nature to Ochoa, an Army brat who joined the Army in 1988 as a combat medic and transitioned to being a paramedic on Fort Stewart in 1997. He has worked his way up through the ranks, from paramedic to supervisor, earning his wings as a flight paramedic and certification as a paramedic instructor, ultimately achieving his current role in 2016.
“As an Army medic, I was a senior line medic and knew every soldier in my platoon,” Ochoa said. “They weren’t just patients—they were friends, and I was committed to keeping them safe. That personal connection shaped how I approached the job.”
Working as a civilian paramedic changed the dynamic of that connection, Ochoa said.
“The people I care for are looking for someone who hears them and meets their needs,” he said.
Having all those levels of connection with the Army, from childhood, to military service, to civilian service, helped shape Ochoa’s perspective on how to relate with people.
“All of that built the foundation for my leadership today,” Ochoa said. “While I was hesitant to take the chief position at first—because I love patient care—I realized I could do more to help shape and evolve EMS on Fort Stewart.”
Shaping and evolving EMS here includes practicing for the worst day Stewart-Hunter could have. Together, EMS, police, and fire along with community partners rehearse responding to incidents. Fort Stewart assistant police chief Dorothea Mobley praised Ochoa for his team’s seamless integration by developing a shared understanding among first responders through his leadership, be it during an exercise or real-world incident.
“The success of coordinated operations like this illustrates that when law enforcement and EMS work in tandem—under visionary direction—the overall safety and well-being of the community are significantly enhanced” Mobley said. “Fort Stewart EMS is always mission-ready for large-scale emergencies and military-related exercises through a multifaceted approach that combines realistic scenario-based training, rigorous after-action reviews, and close interagency coordination.”
Setting the foundation for success in exercise and real-world incidents is another area Ochoa excel at said Fort Stewart police chief Bryan Lynch. Ochoa is the first to go through any task, exercise or real world, leading from the front. He is also a teacher, Lynch said, especially when it comes to teaching law enforcement to use its issued medical equipment.
“He is the first to sit down with all of our personnel to explain how and when to use it,” Lynch said.
While Ochoa may offer himself up first for training and incidents, it is his staff that comes first for him.
“They’re the ones doing the work, and my job is to make sure they have the tools, training, and resources they need to do it right” he said. That includes ensuring they’re equipped to respond to the wide variety of calls we receive—especially considering our responsibility covers 444 square miles of training area in addition to the cantonment zone.”
Being responsible for such a large area, including the more than 200,000 acres of training area making up Fort Stewart, presents several challenges, Ochoa said, including rough terrain and long distances. The major challenge, however, is time away from home, he said.
“Our crews work 24-hour shifts, similar to firefighters,” he said. “That can be tough, but we do build in enough time off to support life balance.”
Another challenge is the need to keep medical skills honed, ensuring paramedics are ready to any emergency, Ochoa said. The reward of keeping sharp is the outcomes.
“When our teams deliver the right care at the right time and it leads to a positive result, that’s what it’s all about,” Ochoa said. “I can say with extreme confidence that when my crews show up, they’re making the best decisions for those patients and getting them where they need to go safely.”
Getting patients to where they need to be is ultimately what matters, Ochoa said, not the recognition.
“I’d rather be behind the scenes,” he said. “When someone picks up the phone, I want them to know that someone will be there to take care of it. I don’t do this for the gratitude, although it often comes with the job. I do it because I love taking care of people. And now, as chief, I get to take care of my team, too.”
Fittingly, the theme for Emergency Medical Services Week this year is “We Care. For Everyone.” Be sure to thank your community’s paramedics and emergency medical technicians May 18-24 for their lifesaving care.
| Date Taken: | 05.09.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.09.2025 13:03 |
| Story ID: | 497518 |
| Location: | FORT STEWART, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 56 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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