386th EMDG welcomes new commander

Published July 26, 2010
By Staff Sgt. Stefanie Torres
386th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Col. Parker Plante assumed command of the 386th Expeditionary Medical Group during a change-of-command ceremony at an undisclosed air base here July 26, replacing Col. Michael Schaffrinna, whose six-month tour of exceptional leadership had come to an end.

Col. Patrick Mordente, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing commander, presided over the ceremony and talked about the many achievements of Colonel Schaffrinna during his tenure with the group, saying that he had made a lasting impact on the way medical care is provided in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

Colonel Schaffrinna worked closely with the U.S. Army to enhance paramedic capabilities, for example, and he led a joint assessment team to evaluate care and standards that led to multiple lives being saved, Colonel Mordente noted. In one case, the assessment team identified and corrected delays in cardiac-response capabilities - a move that ultimately was credited with saving one Soldier's life.

Thanks to the work of the group, paramedics and personnel from the 386th EMDG worked seamlessly together to treat a 36-year-old heart-attack victim earlier this year.

"That Soldier's life was saved, and he is now back home with his newborn child," Colonel Mordente told the audience gathered in the base passenger terminal.

During his tenure as 386th EMDG commander, Colonel Schaffrinna also responded to a decrease in staffing by cross-training his Airmen to perform additional duties, saving approximately $2 million annually in military personnel costs, Colonel Mordente explained.

"The challenge of every commander is to make the unit better than the way you found it," the 386th AEW commander said. "Mike definitely exceeded that threshold. I know we are all sorry to see him depart."

In the past six months, Colonel Schaffrinna oversaw medical care for more than 2,400 deployed personnel, supported 61 forward operating bases and guaranteed the movement of 319 air- and ground-evacuation missions from the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility here, transporting 1,160 wounded warriors to locations that provide advanced medical treatment. His team also screened more than 18,000 patients on base, directly contributing to the wing's near-perfect mission effectiveness rate while supporting Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.

Colonel Schaffrinna took time during the ceremony to thank joint partners and members of the wing who worked with him to achieve the group's accomplishments. He also praised Airmen in the medical group for their dedication to duty, saying they personified the Airmen's Creed.

"There is not one thing in the Airmen's creed that you do not do," he said. "You all looked at how we can do things together and reduced the (personnel) footprint by 31 percent. It was your initiative, your ideas and your teamwork that made sure everyone worked together to make sure that all happened."

He noted that patients are sometimes surprised by the broad scope of services offered by the medical group.

"People often say they didn't realize we had that capability," Colonel Schaffrinna said. "The reason the capability is there is because of attitude - because of your leadership - because you are a wingman for every person on this base," he told his Airmen.

Colonel Schaffrinna then handed off his radio and cellular phone to the new 386th EMDG commander, relinquishing command with the passing of the medical group guidon to Colonel Plante.

Colonel Plante began his tour of duty by thanking 386th AEW leaders and Colonel Schaffrinna for "taking care of the med group." He also spoke to the men and women of the 386th EMDG about serving with them for the next six months.

"I am absolutely honored and privileged to be your commander," he said. "I am just really excited to be a part of this team and promoting those rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Colonel Plante received his doctorate of optometry from the Southern California College of Optometry and was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force in 1987. His work has been published in international medical journals, and he has deployed on humanitarian and exercise missions to Nicaragua, El Salvador, Alaska, Niger, Zambia and Uganda. Colonel Plante arrived here after serving as the commander of the 66th Medical Group at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass.