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72nd MDG awarded for best care

  • Published
  • By John Stuart
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  For Master Sergeant Gemma Clark, the mission of the 72nd Medical Group is simple.

"It's all about taking care of people," Sergeant Clark says, and her statement is backed up by a recent announcement. The 72nd MDG continued its tradition of providing quality care when it garnered numerous medical awards from the Air Force Materiel Command.

"I am extremely proud to be a member of a group with so many MAJCOM and Air Force level award winners," said Col. Robert Marks, 72nd MDG commander. "They are all exceptional individuals and remarkable Airmen. They all come to work each day with a commitment to provide the best possible care to all our beneficiaries."

With 162 awards given out to teams and individuals at the AFMC level for 2009, Tinker came away with an impressive 20 of those accolades, comprising four team awards and 16 individual awards.

The award submissions were judged according to several criteria, such as leadership and job performance, significant self-improvement and base community involvement. This year, as in previous years, Tinker made a formidable showing on the podium.

"It points out the fact that we do have good folks doing good things to be recognized on a larger scale," said Sergeant Clark, the 72nd MDG Dental superintendent. "It shows that we are taking care of people as well as getting the job done."

Among the AFMC awards given out, two 72nd MDG individuals received top awards at the Air Force level.

"It was great to have two at the Air Force level," Sergeant Clark said. "Every year we capture awards at both levels, and we're ecstatic about this continued excellence."

Master Sgt. Jason Noreen won the Air Force Physical Medicine Supervisor and Manager Award. Master Sgt. Larae Chapman won the Air Force Dental Senior NCO of the Year.

The 72nd MDG submitted 82 award nominations for teams and individuals. When the awards are announced in January, it's always a worthwhile pursuit, Sergeant Clark explained.

The 72nd MDG's Mental Health flight earned a first place award among mental health units in the AFMC. The bestowal marked the second time in consecutive years that mental health claimed the prestigious award.

"The award means a lot to us," said Olga Simons, 72nd MDG Mental Health Flight commander. "There are 13 bases in our command and to be singled out as the best in the command certainly is something to be proud of. It's a collaborative teamwork and it's important because I think it shows how we all come together -- every single person in the flight -- to make this happen."

Medical personnel from across the spectrum were nominated for individual awards, from Airmen to officers. This year, Senior Airman Fabricio Corrales received one of the individual accolades as he was named the AFMC Medical Readiness Airman of the Year. Airman Corrales, assigned to the 72nd Medical Support Squadron in the Medical Readiness office, was surprised at winning the award but showed a dedication indicative of an elite Airman.

"It was a bit shocking at first and my supervisor didn't really tell me he was nominating me for the award," Airman Corrales said with a laugh. "I was pretty honored. As a personal satisfaction I know what I'm doing is important to the Air Force, it's important to the unit. To be recognized within my unit and outside the wing was a good experience."

While the awards highlight incidences of outstanding performance, they're an indicator of quality care across the whole 72nd Med Group, Clark said.

"It's all about taking care of people," Sergeant Clark said. "If they're not medically fit they can't continue to go out there and fight. So our goal is to make sure they're ready medically."

In the end it's about saving lives and accomplishing the mission, according to Airman Corrales.

"What keeps me going is that what I do is going to affect somebody who is deployed," Airman Corrales said. "Whether it's a doctor, a tech, a logistics person we send over there -- if I do everything I'm supposed to do I know the person I'm sending could be saving lives. And that's really what I look forward to in coming to work."