Protecting eyes to guard skies

Published Jan. 9, 2013
By Master Sgt. Christian Michael
379th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- "Look over my right shoulder," Capt. Mike Gitchel said as he leaned over his patient, using a large lens to magnify the interior of her eye. "This is going to be a little bright."

It's not every day the members of the 379th Expeditionary Aeromedical-Dental Flight optometry element check for retinal health, but there is never a day they aren't ready to provide the best eye care possible for the U.S. Air Force Central Command's area of responsibility in Southwest Asia.

The optometry element serves U.S. service members, coalition partners, general service civilians and base contractors. They provide corrective lenses for wear in and out of combat, contacts for pre-approved aircrew members, damage assessments from eye trauma and all the basic eye needs of a service member.

"We're a full-service optometry clinic," said Gitchel, element optometrist. "Anything they can do back home, we can do here."

The clinic offers walk-in services for customers in need of complete eye exams, minor checkups and damage assessments, as well as order standard glasses, ballistic eyewear and gas mask inserts. Members are expected to carry all eye-related gear with them from their home units, but sometimes lack necessary equipment. Those who need to come and do not have the required paperwork will get a full work up and new equipment will be ordered.

"If they don't have necessary items we have to order them from the States, and it can take sometimes four to six weeks," said Tech. Sgt. Kristina Singley, optometry element NCOIC.

Singley's primary duties include scheduling patients and screening them for visual acuities, using specific machines such as an auto refractor to get an idea of a patient's current prescription and puff test to check for signs of glaucoma. Once complete, the patient can then be seen by the optometrist, who provides not only daily needs, but prepares for the future.

"Our mission is two-fold: to continuously provide eyecare to those who are stationed here, and to work toward this optometry clinic part of the vision of this location becoming an enduring base," Gitchel said. "So, while I continue to take care of the daily needs, I continuously have to look towards the future."

Gitchel provides routine eye exams, uses new equipment to provide flight line testing needed for baseline testing for annual and waiver requirements, and responds to ocular trauma and redeye from contact lenses used on base. He's also working to get visual field testing and topography machines while establishing the aircrew contact lens program.

Currently, contact lenses are only authorized for prescreened aircrew members and units in which the commander has given direct approval for wear. Injuries stemming from use consists primarily of redeye from prolonged use, and is second only to routine checkups for office workload. For anyone suffering from an eye-related injury, the staff encourages members to come in.

Members who lack eye equipment, or who need to speak with eye care professionals, can call the optometry element at 437-0497.