Page 3 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt – November 2024

Thunderbolt News November 2024 3 http://www.luke.af.mil Facebook.com/LukeThunderbolt
Mission-ready: 56th MDG rapid flu shot POD
By Airman Belinda GuAChun-ChiChAY
56th Fighter Wing
The 56th Medical Group con- ducted a point of dispensing exer- cise Oct. 9 to 11, 2024, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.
The exercise aimed to enhance the health and readiness of per- sonnel by providing Airmen easy access to flu vaccinations, crucial for preventing influenza and its related health complications, while also ensuring the 56th MDG’s abil- ity to execute operations effectively on short notice.
U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Roscoe Mayes, 56th Fighter Wing Inspector General, played an important role in overseeing and evaluating the POD.
“The objective for the first day was to ensure that all Tier 1 per- sonnel received their vaccinations,” Mayes explained. “Each exercise is designed with specific goals in mind, following the SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) criteria. Our aim was to effectively imple- ment the disease containment plan, which is why we established the POD.”
U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Robert Tolchiner, 56th Medical Support Squadron medical readiness flight commander and medical emer- gency manager, served as the lead evaluator for the wing inspection team while providing strategic support to leadership and disas- ter response teams. His insights were key in assessing the team’s ability to set up the vaccination POD swiftly.
“We examined how effectively we brought people to the POD,”
Tolchiner explained. “We also evaluated how smoothly we moved them through the process. Our goal was to ensure we met our objec- tives for efficiently executing mass prophylaxis.”
Tolchiner had four goals to fulfill: personnel recall and mobilization, speed and efficiency of the POD setup, vaccination flow rate, and the total number of vaccinations administered during the exercise.
“Our leadership did a phenom- enal job communicating with other leaders across the base to facilitate getting members to the POD,” Tolchiner said. “They coor- dinated efforts to ensure everyone received the message, whether through command post notifica- tions or squadron leadership. This demonstrated the collaboration among these leaders within the wing, enabling us to execute the setup on short notice.”
Instead of the initial two-hour time limit to set up the POD, the team completed the setup in just one hour and three minutes, significantly exceeding their goal.
“In terms of flow rate, we initial- ly aimed to vaccinate 100 people per hour,” Tolchiner said. “Our highest recorded hour reached over 170 people.”
The total number of vaccina- tions administered surpassed 2,800 active-duty military mem- bers over the course of two and a half days.
“With 67% of our active duty vaccinated during the POD, Luke is leading the way as No. 1 across the major command,” Tolchiner affirmed. “We more than doubled the amount given by any other military treatment facility within Air Education and Training Com-
U.S. Air Force Staff
Sgt. Mongeriq Barron, 56th Medical Group immunization technician, prepares a flu shot Oct. 09, 2024, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.
The 56th Fighter Wing is dedicated to enhancing quality of life for its personnel by prioritizing health initiatives. This commitment ensures that Airmen remain mission- ready, contributing to a stronger and healthier force.
U.S. Air Force photos by Airman Belinda Guachun-Chichay
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Bryson Bowie, 56th Operations Support Squadron air traffic control specialist, receives a flu vaccination, Oct. 09, 2024, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. During the point of dispensing exercise, over 2,800 active-duty military members were vaccinated against the flu.
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Mongeriq Barron, 56th Medical Group im- munization technician, carefully draws liquid from a small glass vial into a syringe, Oct. 09, 2024, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. The 56th MDG conducted a 2.5-day point of dispensing exercise aimed at enhancing the health and readiness of its Airmen by providing convenient access to flu vaccinations. This initiative underscores the 56th Fighter Wing’s commitment to maintaining a healthy and mission-ready force.
mand.” For these efforts, three members were coined by U.S. Air Force Col. Lashika Sneed, MDG deputy commander, for superior performance.
U.S. Air Force Capt. Tyler Cul- leton, team chief for the medical control center, acted as the com- munications liaison between op- erations at the POD and medical command. U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Joshua Frazer, Public Health evaluator, navigated real-world situations to ensure all crite- ria were met to execute a POD. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Kapries Chaplin, onsite POD manager, was critical to operational success throughout the event.
Luke AFB remains dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for its personnel. By prioritizing health, the base ensures that Airmen are mission-ready, contributing to a stronger and healthier force.
U.S. Airman 1st Class Elijah Acuna, 56th Medical Group aerospace medical technician, fills out incoming patient information for vac- cinations, Oct. 09, 2024, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. The 56th MDG successfully conducted a point of dispensing exercise aimed at efficiently implementing mass prophylaxis. The team assessed the flow of personnel through the vaccination process to optimize efficiency and ensure effective patient care.