Med group wins more than a dozen USAFE awards

  • Published
  • By Lori Burling Alves
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
The 39th Medical Group took home 13 U.S. Air Forces in Europe yearly awards, including two honors for the entire group, making them the most awarded medical group in USAFE for 2006.

"We got back awards on about 25 percent of the packages we submitted," said Chief Master Sgt. Tracey Shipp, who helped submit the award packages. "Sometimes it's hard for a small base like Incirlik to compete against these larger bases like Ramstein who has many unique programs, but at Incirlik we have a lot of opportunities to get involved in programs outside of the clinic."

Ten members of the medical group won individual honors, while the whole group took home awards for Outstanding Laboratory Team and Outstanding Behavioral Health. The Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight took home Outstanding Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight of the Year.

"The bio team includes our first responders and PRP team. In both areas we scored an excellent during the Surety Inspection, which I think helped in winning the award," Chief Shipp said.

Chief Shipp believes the group did so well because of the many opportunities for wing involvement at Incirlik.

"We play as a team in the clinic as well as outside the clinic," she said. "We don't just shut our doors and forget about the wing. While patient care is always our first priority we do play outside the walls of the clinic."

Chief Shipp said several members of the 39th MDG are involved in volunteer work across the base, helping with the Pets Are Worth Saving organization and fundraising for Airmen Leadership School activities.

"We have a great team here that enjoy their jobs and are very motivated to help the wing. The staff that took home awards are engaged in their jobs and the base," she said.

The USAFE medical service award winners will now compete at the Air Force level. Those winners will be announced after the first of the year.

39th Medical Group USAFE awards include the following:

Dental Officer of the Year:
Lt. Col. Ender S. Ozgul

Brigadier General Sarah P. Wells Outstanding Airman of the Year:
Senior Airman Lisa C. McMenamin

Brigadier General Sarah P. Wells Outstanding Noncommissioned Officer of the Year:
Staff Sgt. Michelle C. Dingee

Brigadier General Sarah P. Wells Outstanding Senior NCO of the Year:
Master Sgt. Marcus J. Thomas

Outstanding Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight of the Year:
39th Medical Group Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight

Outstanding Staff Bioenvironmental Engineer of the Year:
Senior Master Sgt. Mark Booth

John C. Flanagan Senior Psychologist of the Year:
Maj. Lisa R. Blackman

Outstanding Laboratory Team (Category II) of the Year:
39th Medical Group

Fred Coleman Pharmacist of the Year:
Capt. Sean J. McNamara

Commitment to Service Award:
Maj. Montserrat P. Edie-Korleski

Chief Master Sergeant Lewis W. Dunlap Outstanding NCO of the Year:
Tech. Sgt. Alfe J. Tucker

Group Practice Manager of the Year:
Capt. Andrew Herman

Outstanding Behavioral Health (Category II) Team Award:
39th Medical Group