50th International Aerospace Medicine Class Graduates from Brooks City-Base

  • Published
  • By Elizabeth Long
  • 711th Human Performance Wing
BROOKS CITY-BASE, Texas --  The 711th Human Performance Wing's United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine reached a milestone with its Advanced Aerospace Medicine for International Medical Officers course by graduating its 50th class of ten students from eight countries on June 9.

It is the last AAMIMO class to graduate from Brooks City-Base, Texas. To help fully integrate the 711th Human Performance Wing as part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure directives, USAFSAM facilities will move to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 2011.

Throughout its 50-year history, nearly 450 students from 110 countries have graduated from the AAMIMO course.

The six-month AAMIMO course is designed for international flight surgeons that already have completed the USAF Aerospace Medicine Primary Course or a USAFSAM-approved equivalent course in aerospace medicine given by another nation's military training program. Students also must have served at least two years as operational flight surgeons at a base or at a minimum, a squadron-level assignment.

The only international course of its kind in the Department of Defense, AAMIMO focuses on giving students a comprehensive understanding of the operational applications of advanced aerospace medicine, rather than a purely academic knowledge of the subject.

While it emphasizes military aerospace medicine, the course includes training in civil aviation medicine and space medicine. It enables students to address clinical aerospace, hyperbaric and global preventive medicine problems; to evaluate and resolve operational aerospace medical problems; and to perform the aeromedical and human factors aspects of aircraft accident investigations and prevention.

Students also tour Air Force and other U.S. government facilities across the country, including the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson. They are introduced to various programs within the Air Force, such as human performance-related research.

"Students even spend two days at the Federal Aviation Administration Civil Aeronautics Medical Institute in Oklahoma City, Okla.," said Colonel B. Hadley Reed, USAFSAM, Division Chief, International Education. "That is because many of these military flight surgeons also have to evaluate and approve civilian commercial pilots."

Colonel Reed said it is not enough that the students learn medical material.

"The idea is that we will return to his or her country someone who not only is more thoroughly educated in the science and the technical aspects of aerospace medicine, but who also understands how to meaningfully and practically apply those principles to the operational requirements of their country," he explained.

Students who graduate from AAMIMO usually go on to higher medical positions in their respective countries.

"Since we held our first course in 1960, nearly 40 graduates have gone on to become the surgeon general of their country," Colonel Reed said. "There are also many other graduates who have become ranking senior officers."

Colonel Reed said the U.S. Air Force greatly benefits from AAMIMO.

"We establish and build great, long-term relationships with people that are in tremendous positions of leadership and influence within their own country's military," he observed. "This provides venues for cooperation and collaboration down the road."

USAFSAM has held an AAMIMO course every year since 1960. Due to the move from Brooks-City Base to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the school will not be able to hold a class in 2011. Colonel Reed said he will spend the year to coordinate and schedule the course for 2012.