Maj. Gen. Melissa A. Rank

Maj. Gen. Melissa A. Rank is the Assistant Air Force surgeon general, medical force development, and assistant Air Force surgeon general, nursing services, at the office of the surgeon general, headquarters Air Force at Bolling Air Force Base, D.C. She also serves as the nurse corps developmental team chairwoman.

During a recent visit to San Antonio she was interviewed by Master Sgt. James Brabenec from Air Force Personnel Center public affairs.

Q1: As a senior Air Force leader and recognized expert in your field, what is your number one focus or key message for today's Airmen?

A: I have two key messages I'd like to share: first, how medical care aligns with the chief of staff's three priorities of winning the global war on terrorism, developing and caring for our Airmen and modernizing and recapitalizing our aircraft and equipment; and second, living our Air Force Core Values.

I'm presenting a message at a symposium here for the active duty, Guard and Reserve nurses and medical technicians on how we link with the chief of staff's three priorities. In line with the general's first priority, we're very busy with clinical skills sustainment. That is getting our nurses inpatient clinical hours they need to properly support the global war on terrorism. Balad is not the place to see your first trauma patient. Our medical personnel need to care for various kinds of trauma patients to prepare them for deployment.

Under developing and caring for our Airmen, caring is our business. We do this through complex patient care and caring for our own.

In complex patient care, we want to put the tools, training and techniques in the hands of the nurses and medical technicians to help care for the various needs of our patients, whether it's caring for family members here at home or taking care of an Airman wounded on the battlefield, and later providing continued care at a military treatment facility such as Wilford Hall Medical Center. We will be there providing this complex care until each patient recovers and can return to duty, or they move on to retirement and continued care through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Caring for our own requires providing the tools and techniques to help deployed nurses and medical technicians take care of patients whether they are caring for Iraqi citizens or Airmen with traumatic wounds and injuries, often caring for some of the most severe trauma we've ever seen. This care will extend to looking after Airmen once they return and, just as important, how our returning medics are doing. Post traumatic stress is of particular concern, as is compassion fatigue -- a condition that applies especially to medical personnel. Both of these conditions may occur at the deployed location or upon returning home.

Finally, the CSAF's third priority corresponds to our recapturing patient-centered nursing practices. We want to provide the right critical care equipment in the AOR, the right flight approved equipment for onboard our aircraft and the best equipment technologies and techniques to our staffs when they are working peacetime care of patients.

My second key message addresses our core values. They are found at the base of our Air Force Memorial and have a rich history. Adopt these values as your own and embody them in your daily work.

Q2: What can AFPC as an organization do to better support your mission in particular and the field as a whole?

A: I am so content with AFPC and what they have done. I have been the nurse corps chief for one year. Prior to that I was a medical group commander, and when I heard about force developing Airmen two to three assignments into their future, I was skeptical. However, what we are doing for our captains to lieutenant colonels is phenomenal, and capturing the interest of our enlisted members. We need to develop our enlisted just like our officers. And, of course, the civilians are following this same model. I must say I'm on board now and very happy AFPC opens its doors to let us come here. The Web site is extraordinary, cascading down to the medical Web pages where you can see anything you need to know about healthcare professional career fields. I'm delighted with how AFPC supports us.

Q3: What are your views on force development and its ongoing benefit to the Air Force?

A: When talking about force development, it's important we know our requirements such as how many critical care nurses are needed in Balad or how many medical technicians are needed to support a joint mission in the AOR. After identifying that requirement, you must train and equip your people, creating the most current and capable force possible. Then deliver these professionals to the combatant commander or wing commander ready to fulfill the mission. We also have our medics in peacetime settings providing competent patient care to Airmen and their families. When these Airmen deploy, we declare them medically fit and ready. While these airmen are deployed, we continue to give their families quality care so they can stay focused on their deployment mission and not worry about their family back home.

Q4: As a senior leader, what AFPC tools do you find most beneficial (for example, the Web site, 8106s, MPFMs, the Contact Center , the PersTechs, etc.)? What areas can be improved?

A: *General Przybyslawski has been the lead force developer for us, sending e-mails on a regular basis guiding us on what needs to be communicated to the field. I deeply appreciate what AFPC does to keep us informed. Once we get here, the center provides us the tools we need such as the transitional-officer development plan, the single unit retrieval format and officer performance reports that allow us to see the whole person on the computer and make decisions about their future.

Q5: What's your favorite San Antonio eatery, site or thing you look forward to during your visit?

A: I was stationed at Wilford Hall from 1987-91, so anytime I return to San Antonio I like to stop by and visit the nurses and technicians or visit the 12th Medical Group here to see people performing the mission and taking care of patients. When I was here in 1987, I had so many people visit to see the Alamo. I heard the tour briefings so often I thought I should join the Daughters of the American Revolution. San Antonio has so much to offer, and I am always excited to come here.

*Maj. Gen. Anthony F. Przybyslawski is the commander of the Air Force Personnel Center