FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION SALUTES TEAM OF THE YEAR FOR 2007

03/21/2007 - ARLINGTON, Va – The Air Force Association will honor Air Force expeditionary medics with its 2007 Team of the Year Award. The seven Airmen selected represent a Total Force medical team of more than 36,000 members.

Each year the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, working with the major command-level command chief master sergeants, select a specific Air Force career field for this recognition. The individual members selected to represent the chosen career field are professionals who clearly display superior technical expertise, attract the praise of their superiors and provide leadership and inspiration to others.

This year’s team is being honored for their life-saving efforts on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. Expeditionary medics are a critical facet of war-on-terrorism operations around the globe. Historically, the Team of the Year award is for an enlisted career field; however, two officers were included in the 2007 selection because an expeditionary medical team is incomplete without the contributions of doctors and nurses.

“We are extremely proud to recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of these expeditionary medical Airmen,” said Bob Largent, AFA Chairman of the Board.  “They are the best of the best, provide a tremendous service to not only our Airmen who require their specialized life-saving services, but in support of all coalition forces...and are certainly a credit to our Air Force and the Nation.   In the truest sense, they’re heroes to all.”

AFA will pay tribute April 2 to the Airmen at the Team of the Year Awards Reception and Dinner at the Key Bridge Marriot in Arlington, Va.

The recipients of the 2007 Team of the Year Award are as follows:

Robert G. Zuniga II
Senior Airman Robert G. Zuniga II distinguished himself as an Aerospace Medical Journeyman, 82nd Medical Operations Squadron, Sheppard AFB, Texas, and as an expeditionary medical technician, Balad, Iraq. While deployed, he augmented the largest United States Military Emergency Room in Iraq and treated more than 3,000 patients. He was instrumental in saving 120 coalition and local civilian patient’s lives during six mortar and car bombing attacks. He also was embedded with nine wounded soldiers during a 2-hour mortar attack where he provided first responder care, outstanding leadership and a cool demeanor despite the serious situation. Senior Airman Zuniga was selected as the 82nd Medical Group’s Airman of the Year for 2006.

Crystal A. Gomez
Tech. Sergeant Crystal A. Gomez distinguished herself as a Physical Medicine Craftsman, 78th Medical Operations Squadron, Robins AFB, Ga., and as a member of the first-ever joint Air Force and Army Physical Medicine Team, Bagram AB, Afghanistan. While deployed, she established a fully operational rehabilitation clinic in 48 hours. After recognizing the difficulty of personnel in the area accessing treatment, she established a satellite clinic that reduced patient travel time by 50 percent. She singularly authored the first-ever written guidelines for rehabilitation of detainees in a combat environment. Also, she provided treatment of amputations, combat wounds and musculoskeletal injuries to 216 NATO personnel. Tech. Sgt. Gomez was selected as her squadron NCO of the Year for 2006.

Michelle L. Rootes
Master Sgt. Michelle L. Rootes distinguished herself as Noncommissioned Officer in Charge, Public Health Flight, 5th Medical Operations Squadron, Minot AFB, N. D., and as the first embedded public health tactical trainer with the Afghanistan National Army (ANA), Bagram AB, Afghanistan. While deployed, she created a preventive medicine roadmap for future ANA operations and authored its Food Storage Guidelines, ensuring the safe storage of $8.3 million of subsistence items. She operated daily “outside of the wire” (off base) driving 2,000 miles through dangerous territory to guarantee the safe delivery of $1 million in assets. Also, she led a $24,000 roof-repair project on a local school and spearheaded a national school supply drive yielding 63 boxes of much needed supplies. Master Sgt. Rootes was the 2006 Air Combat Command Public Health Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year and the Air Force Medical Service Cleveland L. Parker Award recipient.

Faith M. Elmore
Master Sgt. Faith M. Elmore distinguished herself as Noncommissioned Officer in Charge, Dental Services, 184th Air Refueling Wing, McConnell AFB, Kansas, and as the sole dental technician for a 622-person Aerospace Expeditionary Group, Sather AB, Iraq. While deployed, she treated 350 coalition forces, streamlined dental processes, and determined the requirements for a new $1.5 million expeditionary medical facility. Using her previous operating room experience, she assisted the surgical team and the orthopedic surgeon on major cases, to include one case involving the saving of a limb of an Iraqi Special Forces soldier. The Air National Guard Surgeon General education and training manager identified her as the number one field functional representative for the dental services career field.

Kory O. Rivera
Master Sgt. Kory O. Rivera distinguished himself as Noncommissioned Officer in Charge, Women’s Health Flight, 3rd Medical Support Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, and as NCOIC, Coalition Military Assistant Training Team, Rawah, Iraq. While deployed as an independent duty medical technician, he was attached to an 11-man U.S. Marine Corps Military Transition Team to train and sustain more than 450 Iraqi soldiers, supervise camp operations and contract management. He provided public health expertise during the construction of garrison messing and shower facilities for the Iraqi forces and conducted weekly lectures on leadership and the profession of arms for Iraqi NCOs. He also provided combat medical support to wounded forces while under hostile fire and received the Bronze Star for his actions.

Shaun S. Westphal
Capt. Shaun S. Westphal distinguished himself as Critical Care Air Transport Team (CCATT) Program Nurse Manager and Critical Care Nurse, Intensive Care Unit, 759th Surgical Operations Squadron, Lackland AFB, Texas, and CCATT nurse, 379th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Balad, Iraq. While deployed, he flew 23 aeromedical evacuation missions which successfully moved 48 critically injured patients. Additionally, he started emergency resuscitation on a trauma patient in a life-threatening situation and saved his life. He also manually ventilated a critical burn victim for the entire five hour aeromedical evacuation mission, giving life-sustaining nursing care.

Jay A. Johannigman
Col. Jay A. Johannigman distinguished himself as Individual Mobilization Augmentee to the Air Force Surgeon General’s Office, Bolling AFB, Md., and Deputy Commander and wartime trauma surgeon and critical care expert, 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group, Balad AB, Iraq. While deployed, he was the senior member for the trauma and critical care team at the largest and most war-capable Air Force Theater Hospital in history. He flew 12 Critical Care Air Transport evacuation missions transporting wounded to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany. Additionally, as a civilian surgeon he has participated in the development and evolution of the CCAT team concept from 1992 to today and as a reservist he has completed three combat tours.

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