Photo By Senior Airman Kailani Gagne | U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Saul Vazquez-Melendez, member of the 624th Aeromedical...... read more read more
The 624th Aeromedical Staging Squadron received the prestigious Raincross Award for Medical Excellence, culminating a year of transformation. This award from Fourth Air Force recognizes outstanding performance across multiple areas, including mission accomplishments, innovation, deployments, readiness and community involvement.
Master Sgt. Amylyn Laronal, 4A Functional manager of 624th ASTS, has witnessed the squadron’s evolution since joining in 2012 as a laboratory technician before cross-training into medical administration in 2016.
“The changes I’ve seen have been dynamic,” said Laronal. “We’ve had multiple commanders over the years, each bringing a different vision, but the current leadership has been the best I’ve experienced. They empower us, set clear goals, and create a work environment where we can thrive.”
That leadership, led by Col. Robert Barth, 624th ASTS commander, and Senior Master Sgt. Erin Esquer, senior enlisted leader, has been instrumental in transforming the unit. When they arrived in early 2023, 624th ASTS faced readiness and morale challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Barth and Esquer immediately focused on rebuilding the foundation, prioritizing the well-being of their Citizen Airmen.
Barth’s leadership philosophy centers on “three Ps,” getting members Paid, Praised, and Promoted. “When you take care of the Airmen, they’re going to take care of you, and you’re going to get what I call discretionary effort,” Barth explains. This emphasis on individual needs created a ripple effect, revitalizing the squadron.
One of their early victories was securing an invitation to Rim of the Pacific, the world’s largest maritime exercise. This achievement highlights 624th ASTS’s renewed focus on its dual mission: providing aerospace medical support and executing en-route patient staging.
“As soon as I got here, I knew we needed to build our relationships with our mission partnerships,” said Esquer. “We established a solid relationship with the 15th Medical Group, which opened doors for us to participate in RIMPAC, the first time a reserve Air Force unit had been invited to join.”
This revitalized approach has yielded a cascade of achievements, including three Air Force Reserve Command Surgeon General awards:
Physician of the Year: Lt. Col. Amanda Boone
Outstanding Company Grade Officer of the Year: Maj. Timothy Cummings
Outstanding Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Tech. Sgt. Saul Vazquez-Melendez
And two 624th Regional Support Group Annual awards:
Team of the Year: 624th ASTS Medical Readiness Team
Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Senior Master Sgt. Erin Esquer
These individual achievements, built upon teamwork and revitalized morale, paved the way for the ultimate recognition: the Raincross Award. “All these individual recognitions have been fabulous and well-deserved,” said Barth, “but they ultimately led to our team’s success.”
Looking ahead, 624th ASTS is geared to continue its trajectory of excellence. The squadron is preparing for upcoming deployments, Exercise Talisman Saber and its unit effectiveness inspection.
The story of the 624th ASTS is a testament to the transformative power of strong leadership, a commitment to caring for Airmen, and a relentless focus on mission success. From facing significant challenges to achieving unprecedented commendation, their journey exemplifies the core values of resilience, teamwork and excellence.
| Date Taken: | 06.05.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.05.2025 17:43 |
| Story ID: | 499787 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 29 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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