Anna Mende, Dental Assistant Program student and spouse of U.S. Air Force member Jesse Meade, 633d Communications Squadron, prepares dental instruments at the Fort Eustis Dental Clinic, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, Feb. 5, 2026. The program teaches dental fundamentals and reinforces the curriculum through hands-on chairside training alongside dental providers. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Skylar Ellis)
JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. – As the workday begins at the Fort Eustis Dental Clinic, students from the first iteration of the installation’s inaugural Dental Assistant Program are already on the move.
With clipboards in hand, they move through exam rooms, learning the ins and outs of basic clinic functions.
The program launched its first rotation at Fort Eustis in October 2025 through a partnership between the dental clinic and the American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces.
“It’s designed to give military family members a pathway into dental assisting through real clinic experience,” said Regina Kosiba, American Red Cross dental assistant program lead.
Eligible military family members, including spouses and dependents...
