JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
The Air Force officers who make up the Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Medical Clinic's Biomedical Sciences Corps flights perform important roles at their facility, providing services in areas ranging from physical therapy and optometry to aerospace physiology and public health.
Last week, the members of those flights celebrated the 50th anniversary of their corps, which was established on March 15, 1965.
BSC officers throughout JBSA observed the corps' milestone. Those at JBSA-Randolph attended events that included a kickoff teleconference featuring Brig. Gen. James McClain, BSC chief; a lunch-and-learn session with Col. David Hammiel, BSC Utilization and Education Branch chief; a taco breakfast; a BSC group photo; and an ice cream social at JBSA-Randolph. Maj. Becky Azama, JBSA-Randolph BSC director of education, led the BSC Week team.
The BSC at JBSA-Randolph comprises 27 officers and 62 enlisted members in 10 of the corps' 16 career fields. The specialties they represent are physical therapy, optometry, psychology, social work, physician assistant, aerospace physiology, bioenvironmental engineering, public health, pharmacy and medical lab.
"BSC members are a diverse group that provide both clinical and technical expertise and are involved in various medical operations," Lt. Col. (Dr.) Judy Rattan, 359th Medical Group BSC executive, said. "Day in and out, we provide services for our most vital weapon system, humans, so that we may all contribute to the Air Force mission: fly, fight and win in air, space and cyberspace."
Capt. (Dr.) Chen Yang, 359th Optometry Clinic Aviator Corneal Refractive Surgery Program chief, said the BSC's goal is to "provide all our beneficiaries with excellent health care.
"We want to make sure our active-duty members are fit for duty and are able to fulfill their job requirements," she said.
Although the BSC was born in 1965, its roots go back five decades earlier, to 1917 when Congress established the Army Sanitary Corps to combat infectious diseases. The Army Medical Administrative Corps followed three years later and, in 1947, the National Security Act created the Army Medical Service Corps.
In 1949, the Air Force had its own medical service that comprised six officer components - Medical Corps, Dental Corps, Veterinary Corps, Medical Service Corps, Air Force Nurse Corps and Women's Medical Specialist Corps. The Women's Medical Specialist Corps evolved into the BSC, which was created through Air Force Special Order CA-5 in 1965.
Today the BSC is the most diverse corps in the AFMS with its 16 separate career fields. The corps numbers 2,400 officers, supported by 5,800 enlisted members.
JBSA-Randolph's BSC flights help make the clinic a comprehensive outpatient facility that meets many of its beneficiaries' health care needs - active duty and retirees alike - in one location.
"We want people to understand the importance of our corps," Yang said. "We want them to know the things we do so they know what kinds of services we offer."