SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. —
With a readiness-driven mindset at the forefront, the 375th Air Mobility Wing launched its Operational Support Team in late 2023, embedding a cadre of comprehensive healthcare specialists within rotating squadrons, allowing the units to achieve peak readiness levels.
The OST’s mission is to achieve enhanced overall readiness and well-being of Airmen by embedding specialized medical teams within high-risk units. Under the umbrella of the Integrated Operational Support program, the OST aims to address physical, mental, and emotional health needs, ensuring Airmen remain fit and prepared for duty.
The OST is a unique entity within the Air Force’s IOS framework, which is made up of 26 different programs and stands out as the only rotational embedded medical program.
“We rotate teams between units for periods ranging from three to twelve months based on the unit’s specific needs,” said Maj. Danielle Langness, 375th Medical Group physical therapy fellow. “Our primary goals are prevention and readiness, which we achieve by identifying and addressing factors that hinder a unit’s operational capability.”
Picking which units get OST embedment is a data-driven process guided by the installation wing commander. High-risk units take priority and are identified by objective data analysis from both centralized and local outcome metrics.
“We work with the 711th Human Performance Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to gather metrics and assess unit risk, helping inform our placement decisions,” said Langness. “The data includes medical encounters, profile utilization, and overall unit risk factors that guide our decision, but we, and other OSTs across the Air Force, have found that the squadron’s leadership buy-in is integral to our team’s success with the unit.”
Langness also explained that upon embedment within a unit, detailed health surveys are conducted to assess five key aspects of health: mental, physical, emotional, spiritual and nutritional. The surveys provide insights into the specific health needs of the unit, allowing for the OST to provide targeted support.
“We create a unit action plan to address these needs and present it to the leadership. This plan includes recommendations on ergonomic improvements, equipment updates, and other interventions,” Langness said.
The impact from these teams is evident through various initiatives and successes. An example of this is when the OST at Scott was embedded with the 375th Civil Engineer Squadron for six months, providing them with specialized training and hands-on support.
U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jacob Bottello, 375th Civil Engineer Squadron commander, described the experience with the OST as highly rewarding.
“I gave guidance on what I wanted them to tackle,” Bottello said. “Every day of the week, they would brief me on what our profile status was and where they were looking for certain indicators and trends. We saw immediate improvement across the squadron.”
A significant initiative was the Lean Beef Challenge, a weight loss and muscle gain competition aimed at improving physical fitness standards.
OST also played a crucial role in preparing the CE squadron for the Readiness Challenge X competition.
“Our strength and conditioning coach, dietitian, and mental health providers worked closely with the team to optimize their training and performance,” said Langness, referring to the Air-Force wide CE Readiness Challenge. “Their efforts contributed to the squadron’s second-place finish of 13 teams.”
Having such quick access to these resources within their squadron also helped break potential barriers to receiving medical and mental health resources, such as seeing past stigmas surrounding negative career implications from their use.
“The fact that they were in the squadron, seeing them every day, and could do a quick pop in and talk definitely helped relieve the fear or stigma of getting care,” said Bottello. “I know a lot of folks took advantage of the services that they provided. Overall, I thought it was a positive experience.”
As the OST program continues to evolve, so does its potential to positively impact the unit’s mission readiness.
