423rd MDS recognized for AFRICOM joint support

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jennifer Zima
  • 501st Combat Support Wing Public Affairs

Leadership from the U.S. Africa Command Directorate for Intelligence at RAF Molesworth presented coins of excellence to six Airmen of the 423rd Medical Squadron at RAF Alconbury, England, June 11, 2020, as part of a new initiative called AFRICOM Aces. AFRICOM Aces recognizes mission partners who have gone above and beyond in the performance of their job.

“Five public health personnel in the MDS received their coins for doing outstanding work in support of our workforce during the (COVID-19) pandemic,” said U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Dan Spencer, USAFRICOM J2-Molesworth senior enlisted leader. "The sixth Airman received his coin for improving 423rd MDS access to U.S. Army readiness systems such as MEDPROS and ePROFILE."

The 423rd Public Health send daily COVID-19 reports to AFRICOM, Joint Operations Center in Stuttgart, Germany. Those figures are relayed to U.S. Army General Stephen Townsend, U.S. Africa Command commander. AFRICOM J2-M send the 423rd MDS updates about their personnel with restricted movement orders, in coordination with the Surgeon General’s office in Stuttgart. Recently, the 423rd MDS advised AFRICOM J2-M on how to safely return to work while maintaining physical distancing guidelines. 

Since 2019, Spencer has been working with U.S. Army Col. Brian Dunmire, USAFRICOM J2-M director and multi-service commander, to build a sense of joint cohesion between all U.S. military branches at RAF Alconbury and RAF Molesworth. In February, AFRICOM J2-M hosted a Joint Immersion Day in partnership with the 423rd Air Base Group. This was an opportunity for Airmen to learn more about the Army, Navy and Marine Corps.

"'AFRICOM Aces' is yet another example of the things that Col. Dunmire and I have attempted in the last year to seamlessly integrate our workforces,” said Spencer. “Call it: a strategy! This builds on efforts we began with the 423rd MDS last fall for enhancing medical provider access to joint medical systems in support of readiness, volunteering joint personnel to check I.D. cards at the front gate of Molesworth and Alconbury, February's Joint Immersion Day in partnership with the 501 CSW CAA (career assistance advisor), and other continuing efforts.”

Dunmire and Spencer launched this new initiative to recognize the outstanding work of personnel among AFRICOM’s J2-M mission partners and in the off-base community. The purpose is to recognize individuals, to showcase how important mission partners are to the success of the Combatant Command, how they contribute to meeting the nation’s strategic intent on the African continent and to continue to foster deeper base community relationships.

“We fully intend to crowd-source AFRICOM Aces among our workforce,” said Spencer. “This means that, if any member of our workforce notices a mission partner teammate going above and beyond in performance of their job, they can nominate that person for consideration as an AFRICOM Ace to Col. Dunmire and myself. Then, we'll work with their leadership to recognize that person - via an AFRICOM J2-M coin, a letter of appreciation, or otherwise.”

“Employees of either the 501st Combat Support Wing, 423rd ABG, EUCOM Joint Analytic Center, Battlefield Information Collection and Exploitation System, Defense Intelligence Agency, or even the off-base community itself will be eligible at this time.”