Five-man team keeps things 20/20

Photo By Staff Sgt. Melanie Bulow-Gonterman | U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Christopher Hutchinson, a 35th Aerospace Medicine Squadron optometry technician, repairs a pair of glasses at Misawa Air Base, Japan, March 10, 2017. In conjunction with fixing glasses on a walk in bases, the clinic also orders more than 250 pairs of glasses a month. Two doctors and three technicians at Misawa optometry clinic ensure Airmen are mission ready with minimal delay. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Melanie A. Hutto)  

MISAWA AIR BASE , AOMORI, JAPAN

04.10.2017

Story by Staff Sgt. Melanie Bulow-Gonterman 

35th Fighter Wing

Two doctors and three technicians at Misawa optometry clinic care for the well-being of more than 11,000 pairs of eyes. The team not only sees an average of 20 patients a day but they are also on-call 24/7 in case of an emergency.

The optometry clinic provides active duty military and their families with total vision care by performing eye exams and vision tests, prescribing and dispensing corrective and contact lenses, detecting eye abnormalities and prescribing medications for eye diseases, explained Maj. Ethan Woodbury, the 35th Aerospace Medicine Squadron optometry flight commander.

“Our eyes provide 90 percent of the sensory input to our brains," he said. "There is a tremendous amount of brainpower dedicated to processing visual inputs. If something goes wrong with our eyes to where we can’t use them, it’s life changing. Additionally, eye doctors can diagnose a multitude of other medical conditions with a simple eye exam.”

Through everyday efforts, these Misawa Airmen exemplify one facet of Total Force Fitness goals by providing holistically-based approaches that promote resilience and allow individuals, units and families to grow and recover in ever-changing environments with multiple demands.

Pre-operative and post-operative surgical care provides for active duty members who receive procedures to correct common vision problems. Vision correction surgeries give personnel the freedom to no longer rely on glasses or gas mask inserts while on the job or deployed.

“The mission of the 35th Fighter Wing is to provide combat ready Airmen 24/7," said Tech. Sgt. Christopher Hutchinson, a 35th AMDS optometry technician. “If an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot has blurry vision, that jet is grounded until we can figure out what’s wrong with his/her eye issue. If vision fails, so does the mission.”

As part of preventative care measures, Misawa’s optometry clinic recommends those who wear glasses to have an exam every one to two years and those who don’t every two years. Make sure to bring glasses and contact lenses to an exam so the optometrist can properly assess and compare current eye health.

"We strive to ensure all our Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers and Defense civilians are mission ready and provide expert vision care to them and their family members," said Woodbury. "Our mission is to optimize the visual function of our patients and remedy the stress they face when dealing with eye health issues."

• Date Taken: 04.10.2017
• Date Posted: 06.12.2017 02:34
• Story ID: 237375
• Location: MISAWA AIR BASE , AOMORI, JP