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News | Nov. 29, 2022

325th MDSS: Supply and Demand

By Senior Airman Anabel Del Valle 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Patient care within the 325th Medical Clinic may seem as simple as administering a vaccine or filling a cavity, but the 325th Medical Support Squadron works diligently behind the scenes to ensure that Team Tyndall’s Airmen can receive treatments long before a patient arrives.

The 325th MDSS is responsible for supplying the medical clinic with supplies crucial to the health and well-being of Airmen. Medical logisticians monitor inventory through the Defense Medical Logistics System, a digital tool that allows them to track what supplies are in-stock and what needs to be resupplied.

“We are the backbone of the [clinic],” explained Senior Airman Anthony Zambrana Perez, 325th MDSS medical logistician. “If medical logistics was not done properly, the [clinic] would not be able to function. We would not be able to provide the necessary healthcare to our patients.”

The absence of important pharmaceuticals, vaccines and medical equipment ordered by medical logisticians would mean delayed or canceled medical appointments, which would ultimately leave Tyndall’s warriors non-deployable and unfit to fight, making these Airmen essential for mission success.

“We identify expiration dates and ensure the safety of the controlled substances that go into the clinic,” explained Chris Mclemore, 325th MDSS material handler. “We even monitor temperatures of the pharmaceuticals before it is able to be distributed to the patients. We see everything first, so it is important for us to be on our game, so the rest of Tyndall can stay on their game.”

In addition to ensuring all day-to-day materials are readily available, this team of Airmen also prepares for mass casualty events by ensuring stockpiles of emergency medical equipment are ready to go at a moment’s notice.

For Zambrana Perez, who joined the Air Force to pursue his education in healthcare management, the most rewarding part of his mission is seeing the supplies support the base’s population.

“Medical logistics has taught me so much about how a clinic functions,” said Zambrana Perez. “Even if we don’t work directly with the patients, we still touch every section and corner of the clinic. Seeing the supplies we’ve ordered and distributed provide care for our Airmen is truly a humbling experience.”

 

Editor's note: The original story can be viewed on the Tyndall Air Force Base website.