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Medical Airmen receive AF awards

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Amber Kelly-Herard
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  The Air Force Surgeon General's Medical Force Development Directorate recently announced the 2009 Air Force Medical Service award recipients, including three Airmen assigned to Scott AFB.

Capt. Christopher Putnam, 375th Aerospace Medicine Squadron; Master Sgt. Katie Craig, 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron first sergeant; and Staff Sgt. Christopher Harmer, 375th Dental Squadron, were among this year's winners.

Captain Putnam, who was named the Col. P. Timothy Ray Company Grade Optometrist of the Year, was also the company grade officer of the year for the 375th Medical Group.

He led the Operation Arctic Care 2009 eye team in Alaska where he provided $286,000 in eye care to 1,250 patients. He managed the Reid Optometry Element and led care for 14,000 active duty members of Lackland Air Force Base, Texas and surrounding bases, where he conducted walk-in clinics saving patients three to four hours of emergency room wait time. He also supervised the Air Force's only Basic Military Training Optometry Clinic and directed care for 75,000 trainees and technical school students. His work ensured vision standards were met and saved 120 trainees from being discharged.

Additionally, Captain Putnam led the Air Force's only Low Vision Clinic and delivered prosthetic care to more than 40 Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans. He has supported 16 medical humanitarian missions worldwide and served 75,000 patients.

During the same time period, Captain Putnam graduated from the Air Force Optometry Residency program at the top of his class, and obtained board certification. He also volunteered to perform free eye exams for 375 impoverished children in the San Antonio area, worked 120 hours for Meals on Wheels, and worked 100 hours for the American Heart Association, Combined Federal Campaign, San Antonia Food Bank and United Way.

Master Sgt. Katie Craig was named the 2009 Dental NCO of the Year for her work while deployed to the 39th Air Base Wing at Incirlik, Air Base, Turkey.

While at Incirlik, Sergeant Craig managed clinic operations for 24 Air Force providers and, at one point, covered the positions of three NCO slots. Her work to arrange an in-house Air Force training course for 14 staff members increased trainer and certifier capacity by 66 percent. She also amended medical and dental outprocessing policies, abolishing hand-carried records.

Her attention to detail enabled her to identify 18 surplus inbound assignments and alert the Air Force Personnel Center to divert them saving the Air Force more than $33,500 in PCS costs. As the Air Force Dental Readiness Assurance Program monitor she was responsible for monitoring the readiness of 35 squadrons.

Amidst her responsibilities, she made time for community involvement. She chaired the Combined Federal Campaign for the 39th ABW and collected $2,200 toward the fundraiser and led the 39th ABW NCO Professional Enhancement Seminar block. She was also the team captain for a local Relay for Life team and organized 13 members from two squadrons which led the wing to raise more than $9,500 toward cancer research.

Sergeant Craig also finished 21 semester hours with a 4.0 grade point average, participated in the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States leadership and management workshops, as well as completed 12 hours of American Dental Assistant Association continuing education.

Staff Sgt. Christopher Harmer was named the Dental Airman of the Year.

Sergeant Harmer performed 1,500 procedures as an advanced oral hygiene technician, receiving 20 "outstanding" quality assessments, directly impacting the squadron's 97 percent patient satisfaction rating. His coordination with the First Term Airman Center enabled him to schedule 60 initial exams, reducing the base's non-deployable rate to 25 percent. During his deployment, he provided security for 25 base Operation Iraqi Freedom projects and 14 contracts, coordinated Honor Guard detail for a high-profile Iraqi two-star officer change of command, and was named Sather Air Base Performer of the Week.

His work as a physical training leader led 78 personnel to meet all physical requirements impacting the squadron's 98 percent pass rate. Sergeant Harmer also deployed in support of New Horizons Guyana and treated 629 host-nation patients. He was recognized as one of the top four mission performers.

Sergeant Harmer also graduated Airman Leadership School as a Distinguished Graduate and completed 7-level career development courses with a 97 percent. He also completed his bachelor's degree with a 3.95 grade point average and finished in the top two percent of the Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application course. He is also a member of the base NCO Induction Committee.