Army Recruiting for Physician Assistants by Ann Erickson Specialist Corps As a Second Lieutenant
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Vol. 64, No. 5 Publishedished inin thethe interinterest of the 7th Infantry Division and Fort Carson community Feb. 3, 2006 Visit the Fort Carson Web site at www.carson.army.mill Army recruiting for physician assistants by Ann Erickson Specialist Corps as a second lieutenant. Army News Service Officer students receive constructive credit for their commissioned service in ARLINGTON, Va. — The Army is accordance with Department of Defense short about 100 physician assistants and Instruction 6000.13. is stepping up attempts to recruit both Graduates must pass the Physician civilians and Soldiers to do the job. Assistant National Certifying Exam This is the first time that the Army before they can provide healthcare to Medical Department, or AMEDD, has Soldiers, AMEDD officials said. recruited certified civilian physician There is also a new program called assistants to join the Army, said Capt. the Requirements Completion Course James Jones, Interservice Physician that is designed to help Soldiers com- Assistant Program manager. plete the program’s prerequisite courses. He said the Army’s modularity and “This is another way that we are high operations tempo contributed to working to reduce the shortages while this change. “We have a recruiting mis- still maintaining the highest quality sion to obtain 20 civilian physician medical provider possible,” said Jones. assistants this year, but this is likely to Army physician assistants are front- rise to 60,” he said. line medical responders, said Jones. The Army offers qualified officers, “They (provide) the first medical care warrant officers and enlisted Soldiers an that Soldiers receive before being trans- educational opportunity to become a ported to a hospital,” he said. “They are physician assistant through the IPAP a critical component of the Army.” located at the AMEDD Center and Applications for the IPAP must be School, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The sent by March 1 to the program manag- Army trains alongside candidates from er at: the Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, Army HQ, USAREC Reserve, National Guard, and U.S. RCHS-SVD-PA Public Health Service, said IPAP offi- 1307 Third Ave. Photo by Sgt. Matt Millham cials. Fort Knox, KY 40121-2726 Uncasing “The Army plans on filling the For more information about Army Lt. Col. Evelyn M. Torres, right, commander of the 68th Corps shortages by increasing the number of physician assistants or the IPAP and its Support Battalion, and Command Sgt. Maj. Jeanne E. Hammond, left, students in the IPAP — this year we requirements, visit the Web page at: battalion command sergeant major, uncase the battalion colors at a are training 92 Army students versus www.armypa.info. ceremony Tuesday at the Special Events Center. Elements of the bat- 60,” Jones said. Editor’s note: This article was ini- talion returned from yearlong deployments to Iraq late last year. Upon completion of the program, tially released stating civilians could Because of deployments in support of the Global War on Terror, this graduates earn a master’s degree from apply for the IPAP but they cannot. is the first time since December 2002 that the entire battlion has been the University of Nebraska and receive Certified civilian physician assistants together at Fort Carson. a commission in the Army Medical are being recruited to join the Army. INSIDE THE MOUNTAINEER Book aims to help parents Opinion/Editorial Community of deployed Soldiers cope Sharpshooting tips, tricks . .2 Super Bowl trivia . .11 Post talk . .2 Community briefs . .12 by Ann Erickson from Afghanistan and six months later, News Cook for your sweetie . .13 Army News Service he was ready to deploy to Iraq. That’s 3rd ACR in Tal Afar . .3 For comrades you’ve never met . .14 when Cody realized there were parents Cartoonist visits troops . .16 ARLINGTON, Va.— The author out there who didn’t have the back- Military Carson’s motorcycle club . .18 of the newest book for Army parents, ground and the experiences that she 3rd HBCT donates soccer jerseys . .5 WCAP boxers do well . .22 Military briefs . .6 “Your Soldier, Your Army: A Parents’ had. Guide,” is not only the wife of the vice Within a few months her younger 7th ID group recovers from war . .7 Feature Paladin cruisers . .8 chief of staff of the Army, but she also son was getting ready to deploy to Iraq Carson’s BHM celebration . .24-25 Soldiesr memorialized . .9 has two sons deployed to Iraq. also. Retirees lauded . .10 Happenings Vicki Cody has experienced the “And that’s when it really hit home MUST SEE Buell Children’s Museum . .35-36 Army for the past 30 years, so she said that I have two kids serving in the Army Get Out . .37-38 it seemed quite natural when she wrote and they weren’t just serving, but they her book to help families of Soldiers were deploying overseas,” Cody said. Sports deal with deployments and Army life There wasn’t anything out there for Youth swimmers make waves . .29 from her personal experiences. parents before her book, she said. College hoops coming here . .30 It all started when her oldest son The book not only informs parents Post picks Super Bowl winner . .31 deployed to Afghanistan and she sud- about the Army, but it also includes denly found herself in a new role of not acronyms and useful Web sites. Classified advertising (719) 329-5236 just being an Army spouse, but as the For more information or to obtain a Black History Month celebration. Mountaineer editor (719) 526-4144 mother of a Soldier. free copy of the book call (800) 336- See Pages 24-25 Post information (719) 526-5811 She started to have some ideas then 4570, ext. 630 or send an e-mail to ilw- Post weather hotline (719) 526-0096 on how to help others. Her son got back [email protected]. MOUNTAINEER 2 Feb. 3, 2006 Opinion/Editorial Sharpshooter success spelled ‘natural aim’ Commentary by Sgt. 1st Class Hubert immediately raised my average score into the low 90s. The FM states it direct- Townsend ly to the point; Small Arms Readiness Group “When the Soldier first assumes his firing position, he orients his rifle in As a young shooter, I wasn’t bright enough to the general research marksmanship stuff to learn all that I could. direction of Some people have to learn the hard way. But the his target. secret was there all along, right on page 4-14 of the Then he Rifle Marksmanship Field Manual under the heading, adjusts his “Natural Point of Aim.” I can’t remember any of my body to bring the rifle Marine trainers back in 1972 ever mentioning this and sights exactly in concept, and it wasn’t until years later while attempt- line with the ing to shoot at small targets while standing offhand desired aiming with a match M14 that I learned this valuable tip. point.” How the @#$* does someone hit a 10-inch tar- The key get, offhand, 200 yards away? I knew I was shooting phrase here is during my natural respiratory pause, was focusing on “adjusts his body.” the front sight and pulling the trigger smoothly so That means if lying down, to move your belly but- that each shot came as a mild surprise. Yet I could ton left or right. If standing, move your feet to moves the rifle sideways or hunches or lowers his never shoot a score above 83 or so. How could any- align the rifle on target. A Soldier can quickly ver- shoulders. If he has mastered this simple concept, one shoot in the 90s? It was beyond me. ify natural point of aim by closing his eyes for a then the rifle is still on target and the “groundhogger” Fortunately for my shooting career and my few moments and relaxing. If he had muscled the will detect no motion to get back on target. Utilizing team’s score, an old coach saw me go to the firing weapon onto the target, then it will drift back to this tip will immediately decrease the size of the line one practice session. He noticed me plant my where it naturally wants to shoot. Just move your resulting shot group. It’s a concept so simple, yet so feet, bring up the rifle to shoot and then he observed belly button or feet to get back onto target. effective. me ever so slightly moving the rifle over just a wee The “groundhogger” can easily see if a Soldier Editor’s note: Sgt. 1st Class Hubert Townsend bit to get exactly on target. He came up to me and has attained natural point of aim by having him close holds the Distinguished Rifle and Pistol Badge, asked, “Do you know what natural point of aim is?” his eyes for about 10 seconds and lightly tapping the shoots with the United States Army Reserve interna- Being smart enough to want to shoot as good as this front sight housing straight to the rear to simulate tional combat team and is a National Rifle master did, I told him, “No, please tell me.” His mild recoil. Then, have the Soldier open his eyes and Association certified instructor. He welcomes all words of wisdom, faithfully followed ever after, see what he does to get back on target. Notice if he comments at [email protected] POST TALK: What’s your secret to success at the range? “I try not to focus “I pull the front of on it as a task. the magazine in It’s fun getting to to better grip the shoot all those weapon into my rounds.” shoulder.” Sgt.