The 18th Medical Operations Squadron at Kadena AB, Japan, recently opened a sleep lab to help military members and families overcome sleep disorders and get a good night’s rest. The lab is the only one of its kind in the Pacific Air Forces area of responsibility. “Sleep is a vital component to a person’s mental, spiritual, and physical well-being,” said Maj. Peter Crawley, 18th MDOS medical services flight commander. The lab features a variety of tools such as electrodes to monitor brain wave and heart activities, air flow monitors, and video cameras equipped with infrared sensors to monitor a patient’s sleep patterns and identify issues such as narcolepsy, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea. Upon diagnosis, lab specialists then work with the patients to address the issue. (Kadena report by SrA. Nestor Cruz)
Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…