JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas— Inside the sunlit rehabilitation gym at the Center for the Intrepid, Senior Airman Hailey Alaniz stood between two parallel bars, looking down at her newly fitted left leg.
Finished in a custom, dark-sparkle carbon-fiber wrap, the prosthetic offered just the touch of personality and “bling” the 24-year-old medical technician had envisioned.
Prosthetist Masi Soujoudi adjusted the alignment of the microprocessor knee as physical therapist Carey Wright prepared Alaniz for a series of functional drills with a weighted sled. From a few feet away, Staff Sgt. Donovan Lefever watched quietly, nodding encouragement with every stride she took.
For Alaniz, an aerospace medical service...
09.17.2026 | SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, US |
Story by Elaine Sanchez
Members of the 59th Medical Wing’s Critical Care Air Transport Team participated alongside the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research Burn Flight Team, the 137th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, and the 559th Aerospace Medicine Squadron in a Validated Assessment Program for Operational Readiness (VAPOR) Critical Care Air Transport training flight with the help of the 56th Air Refueling Squadron from Altus, Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Aug. 21, 2025. The training flight, conducted aboard a KC-46A Pegasus and taking off from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland’s Kelly Field, helps members remain current and ready to execute real-world CCAT missions. The VAPOR program allows teams to conduct live training flights, as opposed to using static...
