Army gives big thanks to immunization techs

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Sarah Martinez
  • 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  An Army unit presented the Army Achievement Medal to two Hurlburt Airmen from the 1st Special Operations Medical Operations Squadron during a brief ceremony at the Hurlburt Clinic May 13. 

Soldiers from the United States Army Reserve 323rd Regiment, 4th Battalion from Montgomery, Ala. presented the awards to Tech. Sgt. Melissa Brook, 1st SOMDOS immunization clinic technician, and Staff Sgt. Sheri Sellers, 1st SOMDOS immunization clinic NCO in charge, for the help they provided during the unit's annual training at Eglin Air Force Base May 8-13.

Sergeant Brook and Sergeant Sellers helped to ensure each Soldier stays medically ready for possible deployments.

Sergeant Brook said they were contacted for help the week before the Army Battalion arrived. They reviewed 113 Army medical records to see what immunizations were needed and determined 58 Soldiers needed various shots like tetanus and flu. With the help of two immunization back-up technicians, the Soldiers were in and out of the clinic in one hour.

According to the award citation, Sergeant Brook and Sergeant Sellers exemplified the Army Value of Selfless Service. They worked outside the normal duty day without hesitation to accommodate the Battalion's strict training timeline.

"They were a good group of people to work with," Sergeant Brook said. "They were willing to do whatever they needed to do to make sure they were ready to deploy."

The 4th Battalion leadership contacted Sergeant Brook and Sergeant Sellers to request their presence at a formation so they could properly be presented their Army Achievement Medals, Army-style.

"They had us form up and we had to march ourselves out there. Neither of us had been in an Army formation for an award, it's a lot different than the Air Force," Sergeant Brook said in regards to the ceremony.

This is not the first time the Army unit called on the 1st SOMDOS immunization clinic for help. Sergeant Brook said they have helped out this Army unit in past years and it feels good that they keep coming back to them to get the job done.

"It's good to have a working relationship with other services," Sergeant Sellers said. "If and when they come back next year it would be our pleasure to help."