Air Reserve Personnel Center officials say they are ready to move forward with a plan initiated two years ago to move medical and dental records of individual mobilization augmentees (IMAs) from the center to the military treatment facility at the bases where these reservists serve. They say the initiative will reduce duplicate record keeping, decreasing workload and freeing manpower for other duties. To test the plan, ARPC first will send IMA records to Buckley AFB, Colo., Osan AB, South Korea, and Peterson AFB, Colo. Center officials plan to begin sending records to the remaining bases in March 2006.
The Air Force has embraced new technical approaches like open mission systems and rapid software updates for cutting-edge aircraft like the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Increasingly, though, the service is also working to apply these to its older, “legacy” aircraft, officials said this week.