Lt. Col. Gary Foskey, of the 178th Medical Squadron, Ohio Air National Guard, provides a medical screening to a patient at a medical clinic in Demopolis, Ala.
Lt. Col. Gary Foskey, of the 178th Medical Squadron, Ohio Air National Guard, provides a medical screening to a patient at a medical clinic in Demopolis, Ala., May 1, 2012 as part of Innovative Readiness Training mission Alabama Care2012. IRT Alabama Care 2012 is an Air National Guard led, multiservice mission comprised of active, reserve, and National Guard members from Army, Navy and Air Force components providing service members with readiness training while providing Alabama residents with free health services such as dental, optometry and medical screenings from May 1-10, 2012 in the medically underserved and economically depressed communities of Selma, Demopolis and Hayneville, Ala. (National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Melissa E. Chatham/RELEASED)
Military provide health services to Alabama residents



by Tech. Sgt. Melissa E. Chatham
Air National Guard Readiness Center Public Affairs

5/4/2012 - Air National Guard Readiness Center Public Affairs -- SELMA, Ala. - The Air National Guard and other service members provide free specialized health care to Alabama residents during the Innovative Readiness Training mission Alabama Care 2012 taking place May 1-10 in Demopolis, Hayneville and here.

     Alabama Care 2012 is an ANG led IRT multiservice mission comprised of active duty, reserve, and National Guard members from Army, Navy and Air Force components focusing on military medical personnel deployment and readiness training in a joint-service environment while simultaneously providing free medical, dental, ophthalmology services to the community.
    
     "This is huge for me... I've never trained in a multiservice environment, said Cmdr. Carmen Bios, from the Navy Operational Health Support Virginia, Delta Detachment." We all pull together for one mission, I feel very fortunate... we are helping people and for me, that is very rewarding."

     IRT provides real-world training opportunities for service members and units to prepare them for their wartime missions while supporting the needs of America's underserved communities.

     "Military members focus on training their junior enlisted and officers, which assists them in gaining knowledge and enhance their skills in a deployed environment," said Col. Jerry Arends, the director of IRT mission Alabama Care 2012. "Some reservists don't have the same [civilian] job as they do in the military and Alabama Care gives them the opportunity to train on their military job while working with real patients and special equipment, all while receiving specialty training that they otherwise could not receive back at their unit."

     The Alabama Care 2012 health care initiative is a premier world-class field training event for all the service members who participate. The mission provides significant, valuable and realistic training in a deployed environment helping to shape future leaders.

     "My doctors have wanted me to be in charge of operations so I can have increased responsibility and get involved," said Senior Airman Javier Perez, of the 439 Aerospace Medical Squadron, Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass. "Back at the home unit, I don't get many opportunities to be put in charge... members should definitely experience an IRT mission; you get to train, see different parts of the country, meet different people, and it's just something everyone should do."

     IRT missions provide airmen like Perez an opportunity to have a leading role in patient care and other critical skills as well as gain joint service experience by work in a multiservice environment while providing a valued service to a local community.

     Incidental to military readiness training, Alabama Care 2012 provides medical, dental, and optometric care and civil engineering support to assist local health and municipal authorities in addressing underserved, unmet community health and civic needs while increasing the quality of life for local residents.

     "If you look at the line we have today - it's a true blessing that ya'll [the military] came here to help and I want to thank God for the military being here," said one Alabama resident. "It is so beneficial... we have a lot of people with diabetes... people need to go to the dentists, but can't afford it, I thank the military and Selma Mayor [George P.] Evans for allowing Alabama Care to come to Dallas County, Selma!"