Making history, keeping commitments: AMDS commander focuses on health care

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Desire Economides
  • 452 AMW Public Affairs
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. --  Since taking command in April 2008 of the 452nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron at March Air Reserve Base, Col. Ron Rondeau can say he's dipped his feet into the water, but it'll be a longtime before he is completely submerged. 

Not only is Col. Rondeau responsible for maintaining currencies for all 135 medical personnel to be mobilized in place within 72-hours, he must also ensure the 452 AMDS can complete their mission: providing physicals and force health protection for more than 4,400 reservists and tenant unit personnel at March. 

Compared to other military units, the 452 AMDS has outstanding long-term commitment and history of making things happen, not only during the training weekend (UTA) but throughout the year as well, Col. Rondeau said. 

"It is dually important to note that there are a lot of Air Force Reservists doing a lot of non-traditional jobs in a lot of really far-forward locations. 

These things pop up often with very little notice, so we all have to be prepared mentally and physically to do our contingency mission every day," said Col. Rondeau. 

In the last year, the colonel oversaw the completion of two humanitarian missions with the 452 AMDS. The first to Ayacucho, Peru, for the New Horizons mission where 20,000 patients were treated. While in Panama for a second humanitarian mission, 35 doctors, dentists, optometrists and pharmacists from the 452 AMDS delivered critical care for two-weeks to locals. 

The job isn't always so peachy. Being the commander of a unit also means strategically and logistically planning with the resources that are available. 

"Like everyone else, we face the challenge of not having enough time or money to complete all training requirements for our field; couple that with our ongoing generation (physical exam) mission and that takes up more days than we've got to work during the month," said Col. Rondeau. 

But not everything is as horrible as it seems. Luckily, in the Reserve there are assets to be brought in from civilian employers and transferred likewise. As CEO of North State Orthopedics in Redding, Calif, Col. Rondeau is able to use common skills and training between his two positions. 

"My civilian job requires interaction with many other health care and social services agencies. That experience helps me with coordinating with Air Force agencies and other military, government and non-governmental agencies as well," said Col. Rondeau. 

"Likewise, my recent deployment to Afghanistan gave me a much bigger perspective on strategic and tactical health care planning I can use to build provider and referral networks in my civilian job." 

Looking back at the past year, the 452 AMDS commander can only say one thing. "Wow! It's gone by really fast. We have such a short time together on UTA weekends, it takes longer than I thought to learn about the unit members, their strengths, and to help them support the mission."