Photo By Senior Airman Brooke Keisler | U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kristen George-Fietko, a health services technician with the...... read more read more
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JACKSONVILLE IAP AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Fla. – The U.S. Air Force’s ability to fulfill its mission depends on the health and physical fortitude of its Airmen. The Florida Air National Guard (ANG)’s 125th Medical Group ensures members are physically fit to meet the challenges of their healthcare duties, no matter the task or location.
"The health and readiness of every Airman is vital to the strength of our force,” said Chief Master Sgt. Thomas Katt, senior enlisted leader for the 125th Medical Group (MDG). “That's why taking care of our Airmen’s health is a team effort. When we prioritize the well-being of our Airmen, we’re not just building individual resilience, we’re reinforcing the foundation of mission success across the Air Force."
Tasked with providing medical support for approximately 2,000 Air National Guard members throughout Florida, including five geographically separated units (GSUs), the 125th MDG ensures Airmen are medically ready to deploy and carry out the mission when called.
“Our support begins with ensuring everybody is medically ready and we are able to provide the required medical support,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Hannah Holst, aerospace medicine superintendent for the125th MDG. “Our job is to walk them through the process.”
When a member maintains medical readiness, it entails ensuring the member is up to date on their individual medical readiness (IMR) items. This includes physical and mental readiness, which are vital to warfighter mission success.
“Airmen can face incredible challenges, both physically and mentally,” said Holst. “We look at all the elements of a whole person.”
A member's medical readiness directly impacts the unit’s ability to execute the mission. When all the members assigned to a unit are cleared to deploy, they can deploy as a cohesive team without delay.
“It’s important that members maintain medical readiness at all times to ensure they're ready and available to support and defend the United States and the state of Florida at any given time,” said Holst.
Beyond deployments, medical readiness plays a key role in allowing Airmen to advance their careers. From attending professional military education to receiving promotions, being medically cleared is a foundational requirement.
Holst and her team are determined to continue cultivating a culture of trust, where Airmen feel comfortable reporting health conditions so they can receive the treatment they need.
“The uncertainty surrounding medical conditions can weigh heavily on our Airmen,” said Holst. “It's okay to report it. We're going to walk you through the process.”
The 125th MDG provides many different vital services, including dental exams, immunizations and labs, hearing and optometry exams, gas mask fit testing, and more. To support members stationed at GSUs, teams periodically travel to them throughout the year to delivery these services directly to them.
“We'll bring all of the stuff that we need,” said Holst. “That way, Airmen assigned to the GSUs don’t have to [travel to Jacksonville] to complete their annual readiness items.”
Holst said she is proud of her team for their commitment to maintaining a medically ready force, emphasizing the importance of their efforts in supporting the larger mission.
“Maintaining medical readiness is about taking care of our people,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Arnaldo Acosta-Rodriguez, the medical administrative officer for the 125th MDG. “Investing time in our health and well-being, helps us remain mission ready.”
| Date Taken: | 02.12.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.06.2025 14:02 |
| Story ID: | 491242 |
| Location: | JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 29 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Mission Ready, Medically Strong, by SrA Brooke Keisler, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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