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What do Air Force Surgeon Generals do when they retire? Serve as policy advisors, educators, and public speakers, in addition to consulting for both private enterprise and government. Here’s a look at the three most recent former AF/SGs:

Former AF Surgeon General “Peach” Taylor spends his time at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies; this is in addition to recently being hired by Northrup Grumman as the “vice president for the Information Technology (IT) sector’s Health and Human Services division.”

Former AF Surgeon General Paul “P.K.” Carlton is staying busy; in addition to spearheading the homeland security program at Texas A&M, he was recently hired as a consultant for Telemedicus: “…testing and research for TMDI’s products and business concept.” More about General Carlton here.

Former AF Surgeon General Charles “Chip” Roadman serves on the board of trustees for Altarum, which aims to “…drive a shift in the pattern of health care spending in the U.S. from programs consumed by cost of care to systems centered on the value of health.” He also spends time on the board of directors for Assisted Living Concepts, Inc.

Isn’t it cute that they all have nicknames? Peach, PK, and Chip - sounds like some sort of fraternity!

Some surprising news in the world of the Air Force Nurse Corps! With the retirement of Maj Gen Melissa Rank, who served as the Chief Nurse of the AFMS, the position has been filled by Colonel Kimberly Siniscalchi. Yep - you read that right: a Colonel is being promoted to Major General, bypassing the rank of Brigadier General. I’ve never heard of someone skipping the one-star rank, so this is amazing. The position of Chief Nurse (aka Corps Chief) of the Air Force became a two-star job several years ago, when then-Brig Gen Barbara Brannon (who I had the pleasure of working for briefly) was tapped to fill the slot and became the first-ever 2-star AF nurse. Congratulations to Maj Gen-select Siniscalchi on her promotion and new position!

The folks at the 447 EMEDS at Sather AB are small in number, but awesome in spirit…

To help alleviate the stress put on the 11 doctors, nurses and medics at the 447th Expeditionary Medical Squadron here, Col. Gregory Biernacki, the 447th EMEDS commander, has implemented training for the other 11 non-clinical members of the staff. The medical logistics, administration, public health, dental and bioenvironmental engineering personnel recently went through two weeks of training to teach them basic medical care, such as inserting an IV, assessing injuries, the proper use of a gurney and emergency room standard operating procedures. “The idea is to get everyone up to a level that they can provide trauma care, stabilization and transport,” said Colonel Biernacki, who is deployed from 192nd Medical Group, Virginia Air National Guard. “We’re trying to get the most bang for our buck with all our people.”

And over at Balad AB, a historic piece of infrastructure is being transferred to Washington DC for display…

The emergency room from the old Balad AB Air Force Theater Hospital, which was a temporary tent structure, was recently dismantled and packaged up. It was shipped April 1 to the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Washington, where it is slated for exhibition because it is known, by the medical community, as the place where the most American blood was spilled since the Vietnam War.

And speaking of Balad…an AF doc there received a Purple Heart…

Capt. (Dr.) Adrian Barcus, an intensive care unit staff physician for the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, received a Purple Heart and the Iraqi Campaign Medal from Brig. Gen. Burt Field, 332 AEW commander, at the Air Force Theater Hospital here March 7. Dr. Barcus, deployed from Scott Air Force Base, Ill., was injured in the line of duty March 6 from an enemy attack here.

To all of the Air Force medics serving “Over There” — thank you.

One of the happiest days in the career of any Air Force medic: being promoted! Congratulations to the following Air Force medics who have been selected for promotion to the rank of Senior Master Sergeant (that’s E-8 to you Army & Navy folks)! First column is the name, second column is the AFSC (job specialty).

Kudos to some great Air Force medics assigned to the 71st Medical Group at Vance AFB in Oklahoma! Four of them took Wing-level awards during the base’s annual awards ceremony:

- Tech. Sgt. Derek Cox, 71st Medical Group, for NCO of the Year
- Capt. Jamie Kaauamo, 71st Medical Group, for Company Grade Officer of the Year
- Capt. Kris Ostrowski, 71st Medical Operations Squadron, Honor Guard Program Manager of the Year
- Master Sgt. Mitchell Lawrence, 71st Medical Group, Additional Duty First Sergeant of the Year

And the 71 MDG also garnered another award recently: Top Performing Small Clinic in CONUS!

Note: this isn’t AFMS-specific, but it does apply to all Airmen and might help some folks. In light of the many stories of Airmen (and other military personnel) becoming ensnared in high-interest “payday loans” and sometimes getting in over their heads financially, the Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) has stepped forward with a possible solution: the Falcon Loan Program. Understand that I’m advocate of the free market, and have in the past occasionally used “payday” lenders with no harmful repercussions…but there are lots of young Airmen who might not have the discipline or knowledge to deal with such lenders. So in that context, I’m glad to see the AFAS offering an alternative.

The bottom line: if you get in a financial jam - car breaks down, emergency travel, unexpected insurance bill, etc - you can get up to $500 from the AFAS Falcon Loan Program with NO INTEREST or fees. You have to pay it back via allotment over 3-10 months, but again, there is NO INTEREST or fees. Applying for a Falcon Loan looks pretty simple, too - you don’t need to fill out long budget worksheets, get your commander or first sergeant to approve the request, or wait for days to get an answer.

The Air Force Aid Society is pleased to announce its new Falcon Loan available to Air Force members beginning in March 2008. The Falcon Loan is a loan of $500 or less that can be used for emergency needs such as basic living expenses (rent, utilities, food), car repairs, emergency travel, or other approved needs. Applying for a Falcon Loan is as easy as 1-2-3:

1. Download the application off the AFAS website at www.afas.org
2. Get your ID card and current LES
3. Go to your Airman & Family Readiness Center (A&FRC)

The streamlined application process for a Falcon Loan requires no budget information, backup documentation, or First Sergeant/Commander approval. Minimal information required to process an allotment or Paymatic transaction (automatic withdrawal from bank account) and your signature is all that is needed to complete the application.

The AFAS is a great organization - Airmen taking care of their own. I’ve benefitted from AFAS - many years ago, they helped me in a pinch with some groceries and gas money - and during my AF career I always made sure to donate to AFAS during Combined Federal Campaign. If you’d like to contribute to the Air Force Aid Society, visit their site and give what you can.

In deployed locations, the role of Air Force nurses can’t be overstated:

Behind every case and helping every patient are the nurses of the 332nd EMDG. From the moment a wounded troop lands at the hospital to the time he or she lands in Germany or is medically evacuated to the U.S., a combat nurse is there to assist physicians, administer medication and care for the wounded. The hospital boasts a 98 percent survivability rate for the wounded who arrive here.

Here is part two in the “combat nurses” series. And speaking of AF nurses, one of them is a hero back in the States: Major Randy McBay jumped into action after a winter storm wreaked havoc in Kansas.
The doctors and nurses in deployed locations can’t perform their life-saving tasks unless they have modern, functional equipment, and that is where AFMS biomedical equipment repair techncians (BMET) play a critical role:

The evolution of technology in contemporary medicine has increased the need for biomedical maintenance flight technicians, Staff Sergeant Brian Cummings said. “Modern patient care revolves around not just the skill of the doctor, but technology as well,” he said. “When the equipment is running correctly, it allows the docs to do their job to the best of their ability. With the most accurate diagnostic equipment at the docs’ disposal, the patients have a better chance at survival and recovery.”

Meanwhile, back in CONUS, the quality of AFMS healthcare has never been better, and surveys demonstrate that the patients and beneficiaries of the AFMS recognize that.

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