Rock Solid Warrior of the Week

Published Jan. 11, 2014
By Public Affairs staff
386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- This week's Rock Solid Warrior is Senior Airman Chance Nelson. Nelson is an Aerospace Medical Technician with the 386th Expeditionary Medical Group. The Woodland, Calif. native is deployed from the 60th Medical Group, Travis Air Force Base, Calif..

In his own words:

Family's military heritage: My parents were both in the Air Force. My father served for six years as Security Forces and my mother served for four years in Personnel Services.

What is your mission here? Our mission is to provide clinical and emergency medical services to base personnel. We also provide immunizations, In-flight emergency response, Basic Life Saving and Automated External Defibrillator refresher training, and medical coverage for various missions and/or sports events.

What are some of the best parts of your mission? Providing emergency care is the most rewarding part of our mission. When we respond to an emergency call or a patient walks through the door with an emergency condition, everybody kicks into high gear to get them the care they need. Providing critical care to our fellow Airmen, Marines, Sailors and Soldiers is something we're all very proud to do.

What are some of the challenges you face while conducting your mission, and how do you overcome them? Every patient is different, and every injury or illness is different. We train to be ready for the most common events, but there are always surprises. A symptom that may seem inconsequential to the patient could be the piece that completes the puzzle for us. Ensuring that we get the most accurate patient assessment possible is vital.

How does your job differ in a deployed environment vs. home base? At home base, I work in a Same Day Surgery Unit, where we help patients prepare and recover from their surgery and anesthesia. In the deployed environment, we focus more on emergency care and treating minor injuries. It's a great opportunity to hone our skills and learn more about the medical field.

How many times have you deployed? This is my first deployment.

What makes this deployment unique? I was surprised by the number of morale trips/events, and the free wifi on base.

Why did you join the Air Force? I joined the Air Force because I wanted to be a part of something larger than myself. My parent's service is something they are very proud of, and I wanted to be a part of that too.