Quiet, humble professionals Published Feb. 23, 2011 By Col. John Sell 21st Medical Group commander PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Look around. They're everywhere. You probably spoke to at least three of them before you finished your first cup of coffee while sorting through your e-mails and reviewing your schedule for the day. I'm convinced that no matter what your specialty, regardless of where you work or to what type of organization you belong, there are those certain few, and perhaps more than a few in our Air Force, who work their tail off for the greater good and it is seldom if ever noticed - I like to call them our humble and quiet professionals. These are the folks who English scholar and theologian Benjamin Jowlett was talking about when he said, "The way to get things done is not to mind who gets the credit for doing them." I've got a bunch of them in the 21st Medical Group and only because I'm limited in the number of words in this article, I will only mention a few. Airman 1st Class Kayla Grace is brand new to our Air Force and only 21 years old and has been given the responsibility of running our Preventive Health Assessment department. Kayla takes care of 40 patients each and every day, ensuring those who might have high cholesterol levels, are at risk for high blood pressure or an assortment of other health risks are seen by one of our providers in a timely manner. She's not only your health safety net; she's making sure you are PIMR "Green" and ready to deploy. In our Bioenvironmental Engineering shop is Staff Sgt. Mitchell Eurich, a three-level technician tasked to perform at a seven-level position and was recently "promoted" to take over the base ventilation program. So what? Mitch is the guy who makes certain you and the entire base aren't breathing in the bad stuff which could cause serious health problems down the road. You might not notice but your healthy lungs do. Tech. Sgt. Shawn Hull of the Area Dental Lab is the definition of "Wingman." He kept constant supervision of one of our Airmen who was struggling. He visited the Airman in the hospital, provided suicide prevention watch, kept working directly with the Airman while on duty and gave all of his endless energy to help his Airman in need. On top of that, Shawn didn't blink to work late, night after night, to finish lab work in order to keep the ADL ahead of schedule. Master Sgt. Bobbie Martin, noncommissioned officer in charge of Resource Management Flight, not only oversees the folks who work our medical group's $20 million budget and 500 plus manpower/contracting documents, Bobbie overhauled our administrative technician training program and is the first in line to lead our Airmen welfare events. She makes everything around her better. Staff Sgt. Lucas Pankey, noncommissioned officer in charge of Medical Personnel and Administration Flight, a model NCO who steps up before having to be asked, is always willing to help ensure compliance and personnel issues are accomplished in a timely and accurate manner. Lucas has the positive, infectious "can-do" attitude that all commanders wish every member in their organization had. Not only is Capt. Dawn Scovel a dedicated and talented social worker taking care of the daily needs of our patients in our mental health clinic, she is charged with tracking the Exceptional Family Member Program and Family Advocacy cases at Peterson, Schriever and Thule. This 24/7 demand is instrumental in keeping all of our members "safe." By the way, Dawn is in one of the most deployed career fields in the Air Force and is a selfless leader. All Maj. Ryan Girrbach has done is run a highly efficient physical therapy clinic that has lacked a second physical therapist since he arrived - his productivity is that of two providers while supporting a full complement of providers in our medical group. Ryan leads this flight from the front, ensuring his people are recognized and he does that well, too. Recently, for example, one of his technicians was named "Best Physical Medicine Journeyman" in the Air Force. That's leadership. I could go on and on about many others in this medical group who support this wing as we deliver quality health care to the 25,000 plus beneficiaries who have trusted us with their care. And while I often receive kind words from our patients about their care, the medical leadership team and I would like to express our thanks to these quiet and humble professionals for the great work they do - it truly is an honor to serve with them.