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178th Medical ranks highest in nation

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Seth Skidmore
  • 178 Wing
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio --  The 178th Wing Medical Group recently achieved the highest percentage of current individual medical readiness statistics out of the 93 Air National Guard units in the country.  

Maintaining IMR is a critical requirement for Airmen to be deployable and tracking medical readiness is very important to leadership.

"We have been consistently in the top one percent, if not top in the country," said Senior Master Sgt. Damon Shanks, 178th Medical Support superintendent.

The medical group attributed their high numbers to the support provided from the wing commander, unit commanders and the 21 squadron unit health monitors.

"It is huge to have the UHMs and commander's backing," explains Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Owens from the medical group.  "That's what drives our percentage."

To be a deployable member, Airmen must obtain a green status in each of the six sections of the IMR: Periodic Health Assessments, lab, immunizations, dental, duty limiting conditions, and medical equipment.  Accomplishing all six sections of the IMR is time consuming for the medical group. 

"Medical readiness is probably the biggest chunk of what our mission is," said Shanks. "The biggest hurdle we have is physically getting people into this building to get their requirements taken care of."

Since Medical Readiness needs help physically getting the members to the clinic, it is important that the UHMs get the unit members physically to the medical facility.  This also includes the 178th's two tenant units, the 251st Cyber Engineering Installation Group and 269th Combat Communications Squadron, as well as the geographically separated 123rd Air Control Squadron in Blue Ash, Ohio.

So what can the member do?  Make sure to keep in contact and pay attention to their UHM.  Another way to keep up on your IMR schedule is to check on https://imr.afms.mil/imr/MyImr.aspx.  Airmen can view their upcoming due dates and status there.