The Doctor is In: Grissom gets full-time flight surgeon

The medical readiness requirements for the Air Force Reserve are greater than ever, and Grissom now has a full-time flight surgeon to help meet that demand.

Col. (Dr.) Bill Bray, 434th Aerospace Medicine Squadron flight surgeon, recently came aboard as Grissom’s newest doctor.

“The need for a full-time medical provider on Guard and Reserve installations has become increasingly apparent,” said Bray. “I would even say it’s long overdue at this point, so [Air Force Reserve Command] footed the bill, and here I am.”

However this is not Bray’s first assignment at Grissom.

“I spent about 9 years at Grissom previously,” said Bray. “I moved to the Guard unit in Terre Haute for 5 years until this position opened up, and I jumped at the chance to come back.

“It’s great to be here and I’m very excited to be back at Grissom again,” he added.

Bray explained that though Grissom faces challenges reaching its goals for medical readiness, efforts are well underway to tackle those challenges.

“Over the years, the medical requirements levied on Reservists has continued to increase, but the additional resources to meet those requirements didn’t really keep pace,” he said. “By having a full-time provider here, we’re going to be able to stay on top of those requirements.”

Bray emphasized that AMDS cannot do everything alone, and he urged Airmen to be aware of their medical readiness requirements and stay ahead of them.

“We all have a role to play in readiness,” he said. “Each member has an obligation to report any medical condition and keep us apprised of their medical records.

Everyone needs to know what their readiness requirements are,” he added. “If every member understands their requirements, that’s going to go a long way toward helping us achieve our readiness goals.”