Photo By Paul Mann | U.S. Army Sgt. Sean Carr, a 68H optical lab specialist, talks to Col. Jim Ryan, Col....... read more read more
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SUMPTER SMITH JOINT NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Alabama — Shortly after the start of July, a small group of Air and Army National Guard members, along with a few friends from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Reserve gathered in East Tennessee, specifically Rhea and Bledsoe Counties. This Advanced Echelon or ADVON team, had a fundamental function and less than 48 hours to do it – prepare two locations capable of seeing thousands of patients.
What happened in the 15 or so days following the ADVONs’ arrival produced life-changing effects for people across Rhea and Bledsoe County, Tenn. What happened during those 15 days involved roughly 200 service members who contributed their sweat, tears and expertise to Operation Healthy Tennessee, part of the Department of Defense’s Innovative Readiness Training, or IRT program.
The IRT program is a unique U.S. Department of Defense initiative that enhances military readiness through hands-on, real-world training while delivering critical services to communities in need.
“I mean, over 15-days it’s pretty amazing how quickly relationships can develop,” said Master Sgt. Steve Brooks, a religious affairs airmen assigned to the 117th Air Refueling Wing. Brooks’ role was to interact with the military troops assigned to his location and to be the right-hand person for his chaplain, Capt. Eric Guiffreda, also from the 117 ARW. Guiffreda and Brooks worked together at Bledsoe County High School.
“Everything was eat, sleep, and work, all in the same school, in our square,” said Guiffreda, “and I would do it again. It was absolutely one of the best experiences I’ve had in the military.”
What began as a challenge to Americans in 1992 by then presidential candidate Gov. Bill Clinton with his “Rebuild America” initiative, has grown into a program that two years ago led 67 IRT missions in communities across the nation. What began as in idea in 1992 became a program that in 2023 invested more than $20 million strengthening partnerships and improving the readiness of thousands of service members.
In the 10 days Operation Healthy Tennessee was open for business, more than 2,600 citizens from Rhea, Bledsoe and their surrounding counties were provided with no-cost medical, dental, optometry and veterinary services. Between the two locations more than 15,000 procedures were completed and at last count, 770 pairs of prescription glasses were created and delivered to new owners.
“We had a patient come in that had 20/400 vision in both eyes, which meant he was legally blind and unable to drive,” said Staff Sgt. Catherine Twilley, a medical technician with the 117th Medical Group, Alabama Air National Guard who worked as an optometry technician during the IRT. “The patient could really only see shapes and outlines of things and people, [but] after seeing the doctors he was able to get glasses that helped him see 20/30 in both eyes which meant he could drive legally for the first time in years!”
“I was amazed that everything we needed for that clinic came in a semi-truck,” said King. “It dropped off and we unpacked, and all of a sudden you had optometry, dental, [veterinary], and medical all set up,” said Tech. Sgt. Ricky King, a religious affairs airmen assigned to the 117th Air Refueling Wing. He was also part of the ADVON team so was able to see the build-up, the operations, and the results.
King said, “Our dental team was the first ones to start and the last ones to leave. We would have our afternoon huddle towards the end of the day, and they’re still over there pulling teeth.”
Senior Airman Stefan Wilson, a dental technician with the 117 MDG shared one of his most memorable experiences, “We [had] a patient who had been trying to quit drugs but was struggling to quit because they were self-medicating because of tooth pain. This patient had to have a full mouth extraction.”
Wilson and the dentist he was working with didn’t know about the gentleman’s addiction until after the patient's procedure. “Afterwards the patient said they now had a real chance of getting help for the addiction. That made the entire mission feel worth every moment,” said Wilson.
Just a few days before the close of the IRT was distinguished visitor (DV) day. Intended to highlight the work done by the Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, and civilians participating, the day accomplished that and then some. “It never ceases to amaze me,” said Col. Pam Carroll, commander of the 117th Medical Group when asked about the Airmen she had participating. “I remember sending many of them to school. I remember when they were ‘Red Shirts’ at the wing, and now they are here making a tremendous difference in the lives of so many.”
One of Carroll’s clinical nurses, 1st. Lt. Michael Williams, led DV-day and said his most meaningful experience from the IRT was, “Leaving them [DVs] with a sense of the magnitude effect our team was having on the community and recognizing people who were going above and beyond to get it done!”
What can happen in 15 days? The answer depends on where you are and who you are with. If you were a part of Operation Healthy Tennessee, you helped provide life-changing treatment for thousands of people across Rhea and Bledsoe County, Tenn. If you contributed to Operation Healthy Tennessee during those 15 days, you left knowing the role you played in the Department of Defense’s Innovative Readiness Training made a difference.
| Date Taken: | 09.12.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.19.2025 17:18 |
| Story ID: | 548802 |
| Location: | BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 39 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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