AF nursing historical chronology published

WASHINGTON -- A comprehensive history of Air Force Nursing Services has recently been published, and is available for viewing or downloading on the Air Force Medical Service’s public web site.

The 89-page booklet, entitled “A Fit, Fighting Force, The Air Force Nursing Services Chronology,” is divided into three main sections: “Highlights and Turning Points,” "The Chronology of Air Force Nursing Services,” and “Appendices.”

The “Highlights and Turning Points” section contains more than 40 items, and provides an interesting insight into Air Force nursing history and gender-related milestones. For instance:

* 1961: The Regular Air Force began commissioning men in its Nurse Corps.

* 1972: The Air Force Nurse Corps no longer accepted applicants who had graduated from non-accredited schools of nursing.

* 1988: Col. Gloria Hernandez became the first active-duty nurse to command an aerovac unit, the 9th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Clark Air Base, Philippines.

The “Chronology” comprises a majority of the book, and is divided into seven areas beginning with “World War Two and Its Aftermath,” which details that approximately 59,000 nurses served in the Army Nurse Corps, and many supported the Army Air Force as flight nurses. All in all, 200 Army nurses died in World War II, 16 from enemy fire.

The last entry in the Chronology section notes the promotion of then-Col. Melissa A. Rank to the rank of brigadier general. Rank, now a major general, is the dual-hatted assistant Air Force Surgeon General, for both Medical Force Development and Nursing Services.

The final section of the book, “Appendices,” lists all the Air Force Surgeons General, Air Force Nurse Corps Chiefs and various other nursing award winners, and the Flight Nurse’s Creed.

The book was authored by Air Force Reserve Col. (Ret.) Mary C. Smolenski; Air Force Reserve Maj. Donald G. Smith Jr., and James S. Nanney, historian for the Air Force Surgeon General.

The book can be accessed at: http://airforcemedicine.afms.mil/idc/groups/public/documents/afms/ctb_039988.pdf