Barksdale's "Team Aerospace" is the best of the best

by Staff Sgt. Amber Corcoran
2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs

6/6/2014 - BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La.  -- The "Team Aerospace" award was recently handed to the 2nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron here, recognizing the squadron as the best of the best in the Air Force.

The 20 bullet nomination documented numerous contributions of the 2nd AMDS, helping them win the award at not just Air Force Global Strike Command, but at the Air Force level.

"The Aerospace Medicine Squadron is one of those squadrons where everyone from airman basic to lieutenant colonel contributes," said Lt. Col. Nima Alinejad, Chief of Aerospace Medicine. "These Airmen are doing their job on a daily basis, and may believe their contributions don't add up to much. If even the dull, mundane, everyday tasks weren't being accomplished, the mission of this squadron and wing would not succeed. They're not just completing these tasks to keep the mission moving, they're excelling at them."

Among the many achievements cited in the award nomination, the team "nailed" 11 exercises and inspections, received the first AFGSC "Outstanding" on an inspection and was named the number one Personal Reliability Program in the command.

"This year specifically, the focus was on the nuclear enterprise and the 2nd AMDS was a prominent player in the exercises and inspections," Alinejad said. "The PRP clinic being named number one Air Force-wide pretty much means not only did we manage to get our certifications and readiness rates greased and working, but working to perfection."

In addition, numerous bullets stated perfectly executed surveys, medical inspections and "benchmark" programs as well as exceeding Air Force Management System goals which were lauded by beneficiaries.

"The entire team contributed to this win," Alinejad said. "Not just from flight medicine and the PRP, but also the Health and Wellness Clinic, Bio-Environmental Engineering, Public Health - the little parts of the team that add to the mission but don't receive day-to-day recognition."

What the nomination wasn't able to highlight, however, was most of the accomplishments came from working after hours or were in the weeds, said Alinejad.

"Folks don't typically see us doing food facility and public health inspections. No one watches the BEEs inspect the chlorine levels at the pool or see us respond to mishap responses in the middle of the night while everyone is asleep," he said. "We're not doing these things in hopes of winning an award. Everyone shows up, gives their 110 percent and at the end of the year, it's all those contributions that come forward and set us apart from the rest."

Col. Lydia Ilcus, 2nd AMDS commander added, "Every day I come to work, I am thankful for the men and women of the 2nd AMDS. They are the subject matter experts, and they do the heavy lifting, whatever it takes, to ensure the readiness, health and well-being of the 2nd Bomb Wing. I always knew they were the best and the Team Aerospace Award is testament to that fact."