Experience beyond rank: Enlisted medics ensure combat readiness

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Schelli Jones
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  When a base's population needs more medical care than physicians can provide, there is one career field that comes to the rescue to help ensure Airmen are combat-ready.

Independent duty medical technicians are enlisted personnel who are qualified to provide the medical assistance usually administered by a physician.

Although each IDMT has a medical background and completes needed training at the 23rd Medical Group, most are assigned to squadrons with notably high operations tempos where they are responsible for the members' combat readiness.

"I really enjoy this job because I am not restricted to just working in the clinic," said Staff Sgt. Christan Battle, 75th Fighter Squadron IDMT. "Being assigned to the 75th FS gives me more responsibility and I've gained more knowledge and experience than other medical technicians who haven't had this opportunity."

To be a fully functioning IDMT, they must be able to complete basic but essential procedures within several sections including public health, bioenvironmental engineering, dental, pharmacy and the laboratory. Several hours of training for these sections must be completed regularly.

"An IDMT is the jack-of-all-trades because we treat patients, perform food facility inspections, test water for chemicals, perform emergency dental procedures, dispense medicine and draw blood," said Tech Sgt. Monica Johnson, 74th FS IDMT. "I ensure the squadron I'm assigned to is ready to deploy at a moment's notice."

In addition to providing combat readiness, the breadth of their knowledge makes an IDMT valuable to the physician they assist and the unit they support.

"My IDMT is my right hand," said Capt. Robin Chan, 75th FS flight surgeon. "The IDMT I work with assists me by augmenting productivity so I am able to accomplish much more than I would by myself."

Having IDMTs saves the Air Force money because assigning specific health care professionals to every deployed location isn't efficient. However, since having available medical care is essential to accomplishing the mission, IDMTs are assigned to fill this need.

Any aerospace medical service NCO can volunteer to cross-train into this program, but selection is not guaranteed because only the most qualified are chosen.

Once selected to cross-train, individuals attend a three-month training course at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, which condense years' worth of knowledge studying different career fields into a shorter time period.

"Although we don't receive any sort of certification or additional pay, I've greatly expanded my understanding of how the Air Force functions," said Sergeant Johnson, 74th FS IDMT. "Being assigned to the 74th FS has helped me appreciate this position more than I thought I would, especially considering I deploy with them."

In a deployed location, an IDMT assumes many roles. In most cases they are the only medical provider and act as a full-functioning physician because they can do much of what a doctor can.

Here at Moody, IDMTs see acute patients and are primarily responsible for their squadron's combat readiness by performing preventive health assessments and administering immunizations.

"When it comes to medical combat readiness, there is a lot involved," said Capt. Christopher Tana, 23rd MDG flight surgeon. "They are physician extenders who are capable of providing the same scope of medical expertise under physician supervision in expanded situations."