Occupational safety is crucial for improving readiness and mission execution, from setting safety standards and practices to fostering a proactive culture of risk management and injury prevention.
At Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Tech. Sgt. Robert Bickelhaupt has been the go-to subject-matter expert leading the base's safety program since January 2021.
"In this program, if we find something that could be a hazard, we tackle it right away and do not wait for the mishaps to roll in first," he said. "We ensure that fewer people are getting pulled out of the fight due to injuries that could easily have been prevented, and we acquire more efficient tools to get the job done."
Andersen has incorporated these practices into readiness efforts at all levels, including Resolute Force Pacific 2025, a department-level exercise held in July that tested rapid-response Total Force capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region, including Guam, Hawaii, and Japan.
As section chief for healthcare technology management at the 36th Healthcare Operations Squadron, Bickelhaupt ensures all equipment used by medical providers is safe for patient use at Andersen AFB.
He manages a 23-member team that maintains 1,400 medical devices supporting a $104 million medical facility. He also oversees recall alert processing for 16,000 medical equipment assets across the Mariana Islands, including war reserve materiel and detached medical functions.
"We started with just getting a pass on our wing inspection and improved each year," he shared.
This year, under his guidance, Andersen AFB's Wing Safety Office benchmarked the safety program as the gold standard for personnel training across the installation.
Noting Bickelhaupt’s dedication to warfighter safety and operational continuity, Col. Elizabeth Gibby, 36th HCOS Group Commander, nominated him for the Trusted Care Hero recognition.
"Tech. Sgt. Bickelhaupt leads our squadron with mission-ready precision," Gibby said. "He has a relentless focus on safety and readiness, ensuring every person and every piece of equipment is prepared to support our warfighters when it matters most."
A cross-service training effort mentioned in his nomination involved Bickelhaupt providing support to U.S. Navy partners in updating recall hazard alerts. The safety benefits went beyond medical units, helping air expeditionary wing goals during exercises, according to Gibby.
"Bick reflects selfless service to our patients and community," she said. "He has a keen eye for gaps in compliance and safety regulations. He continuously maintains a pulse on the functionality of all equipment and facility mechanics while setting up all section safety monitors to embody these same values."
Bickelhaupt joined the U.S. Air Force in 2014, motivated by generations of his family in military service, dating back to a great-granduncle who served during the Civil War.
"I wanted to carry on the family tradition," he said, proudly stating that he is the first in his family to serve in the Air Force.
Bickelhaupt continues this legacy in his work and honors other occupational health and safety experts in the field who set the standard for safety in support of warfighter readiness.
"Without us, medical facilities would not be able to take care of the thousands of patients who walk through their doors each month," he said. "We take care of the home front so the ones that are in the combat zones can rest easy, knowing that their families will receive the highest quality patient care."