Air Force to celebrate Biomedical Sciences Corps

  • Published
  • By Capt. Patricia Baker, public health officer
  • 20th Aerospace Medicine Squadron

The Air Force will take time to recognize its members within the Biomedical Sciences Corps Jan. 23-27.

The week is designated as Biomedical Sciences Corps Appreciation Week was established to highlight and recognize the achievements of Airmen working in the corps. Members from the 20th Medical Group have scheduled a series of events for this week.

A bone marrow donor registry 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Jan. 27 at the Exchange main entrance for military and family members. People between the ages of 18 and 60 can submit a mouth swab sample for registry and have their name potentially added to the Department of Defense bone marrow donor listing.
This program helps run base registry drives and maintains a databank of DOD members who can be called on to help other DOD members when they need bone marrow.

“It’s an easy way to give back,” said Capt. Ryan Scott, 20th Medical Operations Squadron physical therapist. “It’s a way that we can support our own people in their time of need, and it doesn’t cost you anything.

“I think it’s meaningful. If you can save somebody’s life, that’s pretty sweet.”

Additional events include a kick-off breakfast with the medical group Nurses Corps, a virtual all call with other BSC members across the Air Force, lunch-and-learn sessions with medical group providers and the community, and a day at the trap and skeet shooting range.

“I think it’s important to celebrate our commitment to the corps and our outstanding performance over the past year,” said Maj. Trey Doby, 20th MDG Biomedical Sciences Corps executive.

Doby said the appreciation week offers some unique opportunities.

“Some of our junior ranking BSC members will have the opportunity to hear from the senior ranking,” he said. “Some of them have over 20 years of experience,” he said. “We are definitely super excited about the events we have scheduled throughout the week. Trusted care starts with the Biomedical Sciences Corps.”

The BSC has roots dating back to 1917 when the Sanitary Corps was established in order to counteract infectious diseases and illnesses. The corps continues the tradition, working to improve lives of service members and their families 100 years later.

The BSC contains 15 primary specialty codes including physical therapy, optometry, podiatry, physician assistants, audiology, speech pathology, clinical psychology, clinical social work, occupational therapy, aerospace and operational physiology, dietetics, bioenvironmental engineers, public health, medical entomology, pharmacy, biomedical laboratory, healthcare facilities architects/engineers, and health and medical physics.

BSC members work within medical treatment facilities, within major commands, at forward operating agencies, at Air Force headquarters, and in lab or research areas in order to meet the Air Force mission and demands.