News

Keeping Team McChord in the fight

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Moody
  • 446th Airlift Wing, Public Affairs
MCCHORD FIELD, Wash. --  A lynch pin in deployment readiness is a Reservist's individual medial readiness.  The web-based Preventive Health Assessment/Individual Medical Readiness review is the tool Reservists use to track their own medical readiness. 

"As a command we have reached a new record for Individual Medical Readiness," said Master Sgt. Bradlee Clarke, 446th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, chief information officer. "In late 2007, the command was about 32 percent ready and this year our IMR stats were over 80 percent."

Accomplishing the wing's mission involves everyone, so personal physical health is crucial to ensuring we have the required number of people medically ready to deploy at a moment's notice, said Sergeant Clarke. From a medical stand point, PIMR is the foundation for whether Reservists are ready to deploy and provides commanders at all levels real time status of individual medical readiness, said Sergeant Clarke.

So what does IMR mean to you?

It means you have the opportunity and responsibility to ensure your medical readiness, by having a preventative health assessment done every year. As Reservists, your primary individual mission is to be fit, ready to fight and able to win conflicts.

Six categories of IMR are tracked and reported, including immunizations, deployment limiting conditions, dental classification, readiness labs, current physical assessment and medical equipment, such as gas mask inserts or hearing protection, said Tech. Sgt. Richard Maser, 446th AMDS, flight medicine technician.

How the IMR process works:

Approximately three months before your birthday, your Unit Health Monitor will send you an e-mail or letter with instructions on how to complete your PHA on-line through the Air Force Portal.  Once your on-line PHA is submitted, your UHM will schedule you for your exam.

Remember, Individual Medical Readiness is just as critical as any other readiness requirement. So do your part and be medically ready!