182nd Medical Group Makes Big Impact in Hawaii

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Allison Schore
  • 182nd Medical Group
Tripler Army Medical Center, Hawaii --  Forty-three members of the 182nd Medical Group deployed to Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC), Hawaii for an annual training tour from Sept. 6-20.
TAMC is the largest military hospital in the Asian and Pacific Rim region, and the only United Nations Peace Operations Institute in the United States.   
Each year, three Air National Guard medical groups are selected to perform their two-week Annual Training at TAMC as part of the overseas annual training program (OSAT). The 182nd Medical Group was selected to participate this year based on their outstanding medical readiness statistics and inspection compliance.
While at TAMC,  the 182nd Medical Group repaired more than 50 pieces of equipment, completed more than 200 laboratory services, 200 immunizations and 400 x-rays in addition to filling more than 750 prescriptions, completing 17 surgeries , caring for more than 400 emergency room patients and processing more than 500 medical supply orders. 
182nd Medical Group personnel also got hands-on experience performing a variety of other medical related procedures in areas such as respiratory services, orthopedics, neurology, family practice, labor and delivery and ear nose and throat. 
"We did x-rays, a ton of pediatric studies, went to the neonatal unit, went into surgery, and I got some experience in mammography.  I got a broad spectrum of training, including working in the emergency room. It was a great experience," said Airman First Class Allison Ottenfeld.
"The opportunity to come to Tripler was greatly appreciated due to the fact that I really don't get this range of experience at the base," said surgical service specialist Staff Sgt. Trever Palmer.  "So coming here and working inside the operating room was highly beneficial to expand my experience and see things I've never seen before, and work with robotics and see pediatric clients. We did a wide range of surgeries, everything from the minute to the extremely detailed like removing complete limbs."       
For Senior Airman Corey Norman, the experience was also about helping the community members of Hawaii.  "This training at TAMC was great for our Medical Group as a whole and for me personally as well. We served over 400 patients, so we were able to get some real tangible results, and really help the hospital and the community," he said.  
Outstanding performers were recognized in an award ceremony held Sept. 18 including Staff Sgt. Laken Hawkes, Senior Airman Corey Norman, Airman 1st Class Wayne Daniel, Airman 1st Class Sarah O'Neill, and Airman 1st Class Travis Miller.
From a command perspective, the training deployment was filled with strong performances from every medical group member and extremely beneficial.  "The 182nd Medical Group had a very successful annual tour at Tripler Army Medical Center completing all of our objectives including accomplishing greater than 90% of our Readiness Skills Verification requirements. The command staff, logistics coordinators and individual sponsors at Tripler did an amazing job providing the required training and went above and beyond to create meaningful experiences for the airmen of the 182nd Medical Group. Of course our training location in Oahu, Hawaii was not bad either and lended itself to great weather, atmosphere and many opportunities for the medical unit to share fellowship and camaraderie! Overall, the annual tour was very successful and an enjoyable experience for all. I would highly recommend this as a training site for other medical groups seeking training opportunities!" said Colonel Steven Norris, commander of the 182nd Medical Group.
For a portion of their final day in Hawaii, members visited the World War II Valor in the Pacific National monument, which included a historian-led tour through two museum galleries, a documentary film about the attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent battles in the Pacific, and a visit to the USS Arizona Memorial.