BSC week pays homage to MDS corps

  • Published
  • By Mark Wyatt
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  In observance of Biomedical Sciences Corps Appreciation Week, the 66th Medical Squadron is celebrating both clinical and non-clinical BSC career fields Jan. 25 through 29.

The week was first established three years ago to recognize officers, enlisted and their civilian counterparts, in the varied BSC specialties.

"The Biomedical Sciences Corps are a diverse group of officers, enlisted and civilian members with unique skillsets in the Air Force Medical Service," said Col. Joel O. Almosara, 66th Medical Squadron commander, who has a bioenvironmental engineering background. "Each career field has a vital role in maintaining the world's most capable military force."

Maj. Edward B. Walters, the 66 MDS commander's liaison for BSC-related issues, discussed how the Biomedical Sciences Corps provides trusted medical care to Airmen.

"The mission of the Biomedical Sciences Corps is to enhance Air Force combat capability and effectiveness by providing world-class customer service and scientific expertise, which results in peak force performance, productivity and quality healthcare for our beneficiary population,' said Walters, 66 MDS Aerospace and Operational Medicine Flight commander.

The BSC's roots can be traced back to 1917 when Congress established the Sanitary Corps to combat infectious diseases. The Army Medical Administrative Corps replaced it three years later.

In 1949, the Air Force Medical Service was officially established. The Air Force Medical Service continued to expand over the next two decades and, in 1965, the Biomedical Sciences Corps was born after Gen. Curtis E. Lemay signed Special Order CA-5.

For more than 50 years, the BSC continued to expand its range of personnel to include a wide variety of medically-trained professionals.

Hanscom BSC personnel support local active duty members and approximately 130,000 retired military personnel, annuitants and spouses living in the six-state New England region and New York.

"Throughout Biomedical Sciences Corps Appreciation Week there are internal activities scheduled to educate and recognize those in the BSC career fields within the squadron," said Almosara. "They include a community service project at Middlesex Human Service Agency, an organization that provides community-based substance abuse and social service programs. In addition, there will be trivia questions and other activities to recognize the outstanding contributions of these men and women."

Throughout the Air Force, there are 15 BSC primary specialty codes and 18 distinct career fields with the motto: United in the Mission.

The BSC encompasses Aerospace and Operational Physiology, Audiology/Speech Pathology, Bioenvironmental Engineering, Clinical Psychology, dietitian, Medical Entomology, Biomedical Laboratory, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, physician assistant, Podiatry, Public Health and Social Work.

At Hanscom, there are 7 of those career fields: Optometry, Clinical Psychology, Clinical Social Work, Bioenvironmental Engineering, Public Health, Pharmacy and physician assistant.

Airman 1st Class Matthew T. Marra, a Pharmacy technician with less than three years in the Air Force, believes the career field offers opportunities beyond the Air Force.

"All that I have learned so far in the Air Force, in the BSC career field, is a foundation that I can build on and take wherever I want to in the future," he said. "The career field has opened many doors for me and I am excited at what the future holds."

In addition to the Biomedical Sciences Corps, Air Force Medical Service consists of the Medical Corps, physicians and providers; Nurse Corps, nurses; Medical Service Corps, medical administrators; and Dental Corps, dental personnel.

To learn more about the BSC career field, contact Walters at 781-225-6370.