Offutt doctor, Michigan native, leads aerospace medicine for deployed medical group

Photo By Master Sgt. Jenifer Calhoun | Maj. (Dr.) Kevin Bohnsack, chief of aerospace medicine for the 380th Expeditionary Medical Group, waits for a U-2 Dragon Lady pilot to park the aircraft after returning from a combat mission at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia on April 5. As a deployed medical doctor, Bohnsack leads the effort to care for aircrews of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing who fly combat air missions every day. The major is deployed from the 55th Medical Group at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., and his hometown areas are Marquette, Brighton and Ann Arbor, Mich.  

(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)

04.06.2010

Story by Senior Airman Jenifer Calhoun 

380th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- As part of his childhood growing up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, it's possible that Maj. Kevin J. Bohnsack thought about becoming a doctor while walking the stony shores of Lake Superior. In the Native American Ojibwe language, Lake Superior is called "Gichigami," meaning "big water," and it is where some say "big dreams" are made.

While the big lakes, the land and the people of his native Michigan may have been an influence, Bohnsack said his influences to work in military medicine run even deeper.

"I've had many physician role models in my life who've had prior military service - such as during the Vietnam War era," said Bohnsack, who is deployed as the chief of aerospace medicine for the 380th Expeditionary Medical Group at a non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia. "They were all very encouraging of pursuing a career in military medicine. Through this experience, I have been able to live in some amazing places and meet some extraordinary people. Most importantly, I have been able to serve my country and protect the people I love. I believe in my heart that we are executing a mission that will lead to freedom and peace in our world."

As the chief of aerospace medicine supporting the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing and more than 1,900 deployed personnel, the medical doctor said what he does is not only to help heal deployed warfighters, but to help keep them healthy all the time.

"I manage the aerospace, preventive and occupational medicine activities here on base," said Bohnsack, who is deployed from the 55th Medical Group at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. "Our clinical team treats the patients, but our primary duties are related to keeping them from coming into sick call in the first place. Public health inspects the overall sanitation and hygiene of facilities on base while ensuring that the food is safe. Bioenvironmental engineering is responsible for checking the safety of our water. From an occupational health standpoint, we conduct industrial hygiene inspections by monitoring the use of personal protective equipment and overall hazardous exposures.

"Most importantly, I am privileged to function as an aircrew member and gain first-hand knowledge of the operational environment and fly with our operators," Bohnsack said of supporting flight medicine efforts for the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron and other flying squadrons. "This experience allows me to participate in the important task of human factors analysis and identifying and mitigating specific gaps that would optimize human performance."

The bottom line on his deployed job, Major Bohnsack said, is prevention. "Prevention is a very important activity here in the deployed environment," he said, "to ensure that deployed Airmen are safe, healthy and fit to execute the mission of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing."

In addition to Marquette, Bohnsack claims Ann Arbor and Brighton, Mich., as hometown areas. He graduated from Brighton High School in 1990 and earned a bachelor of science degree in biology and German with honors from Albion College, Mich., in 1994.

In 1998, the major earned his doctor of medicine degree from Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. He first joined the military in 1994 and went on active duty in 2001 - shortly after completing his family practice residency at Marquette General Hospital in the same year. He's also completed a master's degree in public health from the University of Michigan in 2008.

In the time he has served in the Air Force caring for Airmen, he said he's come to appreciate the people of the Air Force and the military.

"I have come to fully appreciate the Air Force core values of integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do," Bohnsack said. "Also, the men and women of the U.S. military are highly dedicated individuals who take their jobs seriously. I am proud to be a part of it serving with them."

The 380th EMDG is a sub-unit of the 380th AEW. The wing is home to the KC-10 Extender, U-2 Dragon Lady, E-3 Sentry and RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft. The wing is comprised of four groups and 12 squadrons and the wing's deployed mission includes air refueling, surveillance and reconnaissance in support of overseas contingency operations in Southwest Asia. The 380th AEW supports operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

• Date Taken: 04.06.2010
• Date Posted: 04.06.2010 03:59
• Story ID: 47726
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)