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Commander shadows public health technician

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sergio A. Gamboa
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The 325th Fighter Wing vice commander followed a public health technician Oct. 2 as part of the Airman Shadow Program.

Senior Airman Larry Wildhaber, 325th Aerospace Medicine Squadron public health technician, was chosen by his leadership to teach Col. Joseph D. Kunkel, 325th FW vice commander, how his daily duties help keep Team Tyndall healthy and ready to deploy.

Wildhaber, a Houston, Miss. native, plans and conducts deployment medicine programs by overseeing medical clearances for deploying personnel. He provides members with medical intelligence briefings and manages medical reintegration by ensuring all re-deployers complete a required post-deployment medical assessment at the deployment health section.

"I was excited to get the opportunity to show Colonel Kunkel the entire behind-the-scene process that goes into a deployment procedure," said Wildhaber. "At times the job can be stressful. Whenever there is a large increase in deployers or when we have to get somebody cleared for a deployment in a short timeframe, but we do a good job at making it happen.

"I believe he was able to get a better understanding about what has to done in order to get somebody cleared for a deployment," added Wildhaber.

During the shadow, Kunkel had some hands-on training on the process of getting a Team Tyndall member ready for deployment. Kunkel also got a briefing of what goes on in the deployment health section of the 325th AMDS.

"He was very easy to talk to and was pretty intrigued about the medical process we do here," said Wildhaber. "It was a fun experience and I got to show him around the clinic so he could better understand all the work that goes into making sure members are medically ready to deploy."

Kunkel said the job done here was a very complex one, and to coordinate all of the clinics in getting a member cleared for deployment is very important to the mission at Tyndall, added Wildhaber.

He also had words of encouragement to future Airmen that may be shadowed.

"Don't be nervous," he said. "It was a nice experience. Just go in with a mindset of doing your daily job and just having to explain it to somebody."