Photo By Alexander Rector | U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the New York Air National Guard stand in formation...... read more read more
Thirty-six New York Air National Guard Airmen, the majority hailing from the Syracuse, NY, headquartered 174th Attack Wing, completed a two-week medical facility annual training overseas in Italy at U.S. Naval Support Activity Naples, May 10-24.
The medical facility annual training, or MFAT, is a unit-funded National Guard program that enables service members to maintain their mission-essential medical skills proficiency and clinical readiness tasks that Airmen are unable to complete at their home station.
Every year, medical groups from across the Air National Guard are ranked on their performance and bid on locations to complete an MFAT.
During the two-week event the Airmen honed their medical skills while serving alongside U.S. Navy Sailors and civilian medical providers at U.S. Naval Hospital (USNH) Naples, a Defense Health Agency facility which provides routine and emergency medical care for U.S. service members and their dependents stationed in the Mediterranean.
“This training event lets us vault our readiness,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Matt Murray, the 174th Medical Group’s medical administrative officer. “It also demonstrates our interoperability with another service.”
Located in southern Italy on the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea, NSA Naples it is home to U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa and the U.S. Sixth Fleet. USNH Naples provides medical care for approximately 15,000 U.S. service members and 9,000 dependents and retirees.
“We don’t have a lot of visiting providers from other units coming in, so this is a change,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Claire-Marie Gould, the director of human resources for USNH Naples. “Most of our visiting providers are from the Navy, so this is a change.”
During the two-week MFAT, the New York Air National Guard Airmen augmented USNH Naples staffing levels which resulted in increased patient care capabilities.
New York Air National Guard physician assistants conducted surgical procedures, bio-environmental engineering conducted air and water quality testing, and dental teams performed exams and oral treatments.
“We only have one optometrist, so we have very limited access to care for optometry,” Gould said. "With an Air Force optometrist here seeing patients, we could see patients that we would normally have to refer to the community network.”
In addition to providing increased patient care at USNH Naples, the Airmen conducted hands-on medical training they aren’t normally able to accomplish during drill weekends.
“At the 174th Medical Group, we are a non-treatment facility,” said Maj. Karen Marshall, a physician’s assistant assigned to the 174th Medical Group, 174th Attack Wing, New York Air National Guard. “We’re there to make sure that members are ready for duty mobility and fitness.”
Because the 174th Attack Wing doesn’t possess a treatment facility, the Airmen assigned to the 174th must work in other facilities to obtain their mandatory clinical hours.
“Everyone has been able to do their job, which has been amazing, because as a DSG or a traditional guardsman, we don’t always have the opportunity to get this type of training,” Murray said. “We’re very much focused on the readiness of everybody else but this is an opportunity to focus on us.”
In addition to working at USNH Naples for two weeks, the Air National Guardsmen also had the opportunity to experience some of the rich history and culture of Naples, Italy.
“These are the types of events that build morale,” Murray said. “They build camaraderie and they build teamwork. We’re very grateful to have the opportunity to come here and we’re grateful for NSA Naples for welcoming us.”
| Date Taken: | 05.24.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.23.2025 16:12 |
| Story ID: | 500703 |
| Location: | NAPLES, IT |
| Web Views: | 64 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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