Photo By Master Sgt. John Hillier | The Missouri Air National Guard's 131st Medical Group dental team, from left, Master...... read more read more
The Missouri National Guard’s 131st Medical Group dental clinic was recently named as best out of the 90 wings across the Air National Guard in the 2023-2024 ANG Medical Service Awards.
The dental team and its five Airmen were recognized for their innovative efforts to accomplish dental examinations, resulting in a 13 percent reduction of Airmen not in compliance with dental requirements, and ultimately boosting the wing’s readiness and deployability.
“A lot of what we do is behind the scenes,” said Maj. Matthew Greaves, 131st Medical Group chief of dental service. “Annual requirements refresh every year, and it means a lot for the Air National Guard to see the consistency and success of the work we’re delivering.”
The dental mission is responsible for medical readiness of the wing’s approximately 1200 Airmen split across three Missouri installations: Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster, Jefferson Barracks ANG Station in St. Louis, and Joint Force Headquarters in Jefferson City. Greaves said the travel required to ensure the right personnel are in place and available is one of their top challenges.
Working within the security requirements of the 131st Bomb Wing’s B-2 Spirit stealth bomber mission is another hurdle the team had to overcome. For some flight line personnel who work inside the security perimeter, going in and out of their work area became an obstacle to attending medical exams. To overcome that barrier, the dental team partnered with the 131st Maintenance Group and developed a solution to make it easier for maintainers and operations support Airmen to have access to medical care.
Greaves said they were able to repurpose an open therapy room during drill weekends. With some mobile exam equipment and a few portable benches and tables, they could meet Airmen where they work and help keep them medically cleared for duty. Through this and other innovative efforts, the dental team was able to cut the number of maintainers with dental readiness problems in half.
“Ultimately, the exam is a screening tool,” said Greaves. We don’t have to be perfectionists to get the information we need to meet Air Force requirements and then arrange follow-ups for the Airmen who need them at a traditional clinic.”
| Date Taken: | 04.26.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.25.2025 16:02 |
| Story ID: | 496237 |
| Location: | WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, MISSOURI, US |
| Web Views: | 260 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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