Air Force News 17May96

[Christian L. Wilson]

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Subj: Air Force News Service
This message contains 04 stories
AFNS electronic bulletin board filename: 17may96
960468. Lackland captures DOD Installation Excellence
Award
960469. Wilford Hall named level one trauma center
960470. Zaragoza comes alive for Matador
960471. Armed forces praised in special ceremony
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960468. Lackland captures DOD Installation Excellence
Award

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Defense Secretary William
Perry presented the Commander-in-Chief's Installation
Excellence Award for 1996 to representatives from
Lackland AFB, Texas, during a Pentagon ceremony May
12.

Lackland was among five DOD installations receiving the
annual award.

"The installations that we are honoring are just the tip of
the iceberg," Perry said at the ceremony. "They are only a
sample of the installation excellence across the board."

Referring to Lackland, Perry said, "Our defense strategy
absolutely depends on having forces that are well trained in
a wide variety of skills."

Lackland, he said, "provides not only excellent recruit
training, but also training in language, technical skills and
medicine."

Perry added that during a recent visit to Lackland, he "saw
firsthand what a fine job they're doing."

Accepting the award for Lackland were Rodney Coleman,
assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower, Reserve
affairs, installations and environment and Brig. Gen. Robert
J. Courter Jr., 37th Training Wing commander at Lackland.

The other recipients were:
-- U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and
Engineering Center, Dover, N.J.
-- Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C.
-- Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash.
-- Defense Supply Center, Columbus, Ohio.
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960469. Wilford Hall named level one trauma center
by Dewey Mitchell

SAN ANTONIO (AFNS) -- Trauma is deadly. In fact, it's
the number one cause of death for people from age 1 to 44.
Defined as an injury caused by physical force, studies show
that one in five of us will be injured this year.

Due to its mission, the military is particularly interested in
trauma care, and May 10 Wilford Hall Medical Center
became the first hospital in San Antonio and the first
military hospital in the nation to achieve the status of level
one trauma center. Meeting a complex set of criteria, the
status denotes the capability to provide the highest level of
complete care around the clock.

Texas Commissioner of Health David Smith made the
award, noting that Wilford Hall was only the fifth to
achieve the rating in the developing state-wide trauma
system.

"We are happy to become the first military level one trauma
center and are proud of our contribution to the health and
welfare of all of South Texas," said Maj. Gen. Paul K.
Carlton, commander of Wilford Hall. "The definition of
level one trauma center includes operating a regional
referral center for trauma, and we are proud to take on that
role."

As a surgeon who pulls trauma duty himself, General
Carlton noted, "The face of trauma care is changing all over
the world, and I am proud to say that we are at the cutting
edge of much of the change. The combination of smaller
equipment, advanced training philosophies and the simple
realization that everything can be done better is
transforming the way we in trauma care do business."

"Wilford Hall's trauma services have made it the Air
Force's leading center for research and training in the
treatment of wartime injuries, and the level one designation
certainly gives you credibility," said Lt. Col. (Dr.) David
Kissinger, director of trauma care services.

The medical center received verification for level one in
January from the American College of Surgeons, after two
inspections last year to ensure compliance with the
standards of the American College of Surgeons and Texas
state standards.

Wilford Hall is one of the few military medical facilities
that participates in a civilian trauma health care system.
Two other San Antonio hospitals, University Hospital and
Brooke Army Medical Center, also treat life-threatening
injuries and are seeking level one status.

The Wilford Hall staff treated 10,418 patients with trauma
related injuries last year. More than 800 of the patients
were civilian emergencies brought to the base by
emergency medical service companies and airlife systems.
The civilian emergencies can be characterized as having
suffered blunt trauma (injuries from car accidents or falls),
or penetrating trauma (gunshot or stab wounds).

Trauma care at Wilford Hall dates back to 1942 when the
predecessor of the current facility opened. The medical
center treated many of our wounded from World War II,
Korea and Vietnam as well as other conflicts.

Wilford Hall started its role in the city's trauma system in
1975 when San Antonio's two militatry medical centers
began to participate in the community's Emergency
Medical Service evacuation system. The medical center
has participated in regional trauma system development
activities and has been an active member of the South
Texas Regional Advisory Council on Trauma since its
inception. (Mr. Mitchell is director of Wilford Hall Public
Affairs)
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960470. Zaragoza comes alive for Matador
by Capt. Lindsey Borg

ZARAGOZA AIR BASE, Spain (AFNS) -- Europe's
largest live combined joint task force exercise, dubbed
Matador, is restoring life to this former United States Air
Forces in Europe base as Air Force C-5, C-141, and C-130
aircraft loaded with people and equipment arrive here daily.

About 400 Air Force people are among the nearly 11,000
U.S. military members participating in Matador '96. U.S.
Army, Navy and Marine units are operating from several
locations in Spain and afloat in the western Mediterranean
Sea.

Matador is designed to give U.S. and Spanish forces an
opportunity for combined-joint training that also will help
improve the two countries' ability to operate together on
land, at sea and in the air.

The exercise's scenario focuses on a call for humanitarian
assistance by a notional country and will include a non-
combatant evacuation operation. Air Force aircraft are
scheduled to fly May 19-24.

In addition to its exercise role, USAFE is responsible for
support of the units here. Communications, airfield
operations and contracted transportation, security, food
service, billeting, and liaison with the Spanish are among
the issues 16th Air Force's 616th Regional Support Group
is addressing.

Lt. Col. James Venus, commander of the 4616th Air
Expeditionary Squadron (Provisional), said preparation for
the support of Matador began in March when an advance
team visited Spanish businesses here to negotiate contracts
for support.

"The work our advance team did is paying huge dividends.
We're moving quickly as the exercise progresses, and I'm
very pleased with the work our team is doing. Everyone is
doing an outstanding job to make Matador a success for us
and the Spanish," Venus said. (Courtesy of USAFE Public
Affairs)
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960471. Armed forces praised in special ceremony
by Master Sgt. David P. Masko
Air Force News Service Features

SAN ANTONIO -- One way or another, each member of
the armed forces plays a important role in the defense of
our country. But, this vigilance is sometimes forgotten in a
hurried world.

During Armed Forces Week, May 10-18, the services and
civilian communities take time out to recognize the unique
courage, vision and actions of individual military members.
For example, at the annual ceremony opening the special
week here in "Military City U.S.A.," Under Secretary of the
Air Force Rudy de Leon described the armed forces as
having "patriotism, service and heart"

"Our nation owes a profound debt of gratitude to our
service members for giving our country something that
cannot be measured, and certainly can't be purchased," de
Leon said.

At one point in his speech to senior military and civilian
officials, de Leon asked approximately 200 military in
attendance to stand up so they could be applauded. The
secretary then evoked the qualities of patriotism, service
and heart to make a point about the indomitable spirit of
those serving in uniform today.

An airman in the audience -- listening to the Armed Forces
Week proclamations -- said being praised in a public forum
by a senior Air Force officials makes a lasting impression.
"It's nice to get a pat on the back ... it's nice to be
appreciated," the airman said.

In his prepared remarks, de Leon also described how
airmen are still patrolling the skies over Iraq, "keeping a
watchful eye on this decade's greatest international pariah,
Saddam Hussein." He said the single unifying message in
all of the Air Force and other service missions today is
America remains actively engaged around the globe to
build a better world.

"The remarkable irony of the military's participation in the
wide number of ongoing operations around the world, is
that they are perhaps most effective when they aren't
fighting," his prepared statement said.

"We must never forget that the principal mission of our
military forces is to fight and win the nation's wars. But we
also deploy professional, well-trained, disciplined military
forces to troubled regions to keep the peace, provide
humanitarian relief, or to train with allied forces."

Television actor John Schneider, of "Dukes of Hazzard"
fame, sang the national anthem as aircraft from Randolph
Air Force Base, Texas, performed a flyover of the
ceremony in downtown San Antonio.

When asked why he supports the Air Force -- in causes and
ceremonies dating back before Desert Storm -- Schneider
said "it just comes naturally. I want to stay involved."

Schneider told Air Force News Service that had he not
gone into television after high school, he would have joined
the Air Force. "I think what you (Air Force and other
military) do is very important for our country," he said.

de Leon explained that San Antonio has been dubbed
"Military City , U.S.A." because just about everyone in the
Air Force or armed forces comes through San Antonio at
some point in their career.

"For many, San Antonio is the place where they enter
military service," he explained. "Most are struck by the
wonderful people in the San Antonio area."

The secretary pointed out that Kelly, Lackland, Brooks and
Randolph are key Air Force bases located in the San
Antonio area.

But the message for Armed Force Week is not about any
one area or base. It's about individuals. de Leon calls them
"guardians of freedom, ambassadors of hope, mothers,
fathers, and friends."

"These are the people we honor here today ... men and
women who spend months of every year separated from
their families, risking all so that others around the world
may someday have the blessings of peace and liberty that
we in this nation have so long enjoyed," he said.
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