Some 60 Air Force Reservists “deployed” to Ft. McCoy, Wis., to participate in the National Guard’s Patriot 06 exercise—which ends today—using the opportunity to get their every 40 months recertification to operate an emergency medical support system, otherwise known as EMEDS. Helping train the Reserve medics are Air National Guard medics from Michigan and active duty medics from Texas. Participants say the airmen of the three Air Force components are indistinguishable.
Airmen and Guardians in the Active and Reserve component, as well as civilian employees, in “mission critical and high-risk populations” are now required to receive influenza vaccinations annually to “preserve force readiness,” according to a recent Department of the Air Force memo.