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MacDill NCO manages medical operations support at Southwest Asia base

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
  • Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Staff Sgt. Jahmal Nicholas is a radiology technician deployed with the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia.

Sergeant Nicholas is deployed from Air Mobility Command's 6th Medical Support Squadron, 6th Air Mobility Wing, at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. According to the 6th AMW Web site, the wing's overall mission is "to provide worldwide air refueling and combatant commander airlift in support of the Air Force's Global Reach, Global Power mission and to provide support to Headquarters U.S. Central Command, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command and 51 other mission partners that call MacDill home."

In serving with the 379th MDG, Sergeant Nicholas supports operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. As a radiology technician, Sergeant Nicholas operates equipment to produce diagnostic images and assists radiologist or physician with special procedures, his official Air Force job description states.

He also prepares equipment and patients for diagnostic studies and therapeutic procedures, performs technical and administrative radiology activities, and ensures health protective measures such as universal precautions and radiation protection measures are established and employed.

To operate fixed and portable radiographic equipment to produce images, radiology technicians like Sergeant Nicholas compute techniques and adjust control panel settings such as kilovoltage, milliamperage, exposure time and focal spot size. They also select image recording media, adjust the table or cassette holder, align x-ray tube for correct distance and angle and restrict radiation beam for maximum patient protection.

The job description also states that radiology technicians use specialized equipment to perform nuclear medicine, mammography, ultrasound, computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. They select imaging protocols and required accessories, and make adjustments based on the specific examination requirements. They also record and process the image and manipulate the recorded image using computer applications.

Furthermore, radiology technicians like Sergeant Nicholas are trained to perform and supervise general diagnostic imaging activities. They mix film processing solutions, load and unload film holders, and reproduce images. They are also trained to receive patients, schedule appointments, prepare and process examination requests and related records, and file images and reports.

In a 379th AEW Public Affairs report, Sergeant Nicholas said he's in a job that he's always wanted to do.

"Ever since I was a child, I've liked the medical field," Sergeant Nicholas said in the report. "I knew I'd be doing something in a hospital one day."

According to the wing's Web site, the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing is "one of the largest, most diverse expeditionary wings in the Air Force," providing combat airpower and support for operations New Dawn, Enduring Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. The wing and its associate units operate more than 100 aircraft, making the base a large hub for humanitarian airlift activity while providing mission-essential combat power, aeromedical evacuation and intelligence support for three theaters of operation.

(Staff Sgt. Nika Glover, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs, contributed to this report.)