Air Force Surgeon General

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About Air Force Medical Service

"Trusted Care Anywhere" is the mantra of the Air Force Medical Service. Our priorities align with Air Force priorities to ensure mission success. we embrace our heritage of innovation and relentlessly pursue advances to enhance safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of care we deliver to beneficiaries and support we provide to Combatant Commanders.

Mission, Vision and Goals

AFMS Mission

The AFMS Mission is to enable medically fit forces, provide expeditionary medics, and improve the health of all we serve to meet our Nation's needs.

AFMS Vision

Trusted Care, Anywhere

AFMS Strategic Goals

- Readiness: Support optimal medical readiness for all Airmen and ensure Air Force medics are current, trained and equipped to deliver "Trusted Care, Anywhere" in support of the full spectrum of military operations.

- Better Care: Provide reliable access to safe, quality care for all that we serve, promoting positive patient experiences and outcomes.

- Better Health: Encourage healthy behaviors through a health-based culture to enhance resilient and human performance, while reducing illness and injury.

- Best Value: Focus on the appropriate utilization of People and Resources applied through effective management of the AFMS Enterprise in order to attain Readiness, Better Care and Better Health.

AFMS Strategy

Click button for more information
on our AFMS Healthcare Strategy

AFMS History

Creation of the Air Force Medical Service
The Korean War
Aviation and Space Medicine in the Cold War
The Vietnam War
Readiness Reforms, 1979-1990
The Gulf War, 1990-1991
The 1990s, Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Operations
The New Millennium
Readiness and other initiatives, pre-9/11
September 11, 2001 and Operation Enduring Freedom
Homeland Security
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Chronology of Air Force Surgeons General

AFMS Leaders


Lt. Gen. (Dr.)Thomas W. Travis Surgeon General	Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Mark A. Ediger Deputy Surgeon General	Chief Master Sgt. Kevin J. Lambing Chief, Medical Enlisted Force

AFMS Personnel

Total Force Personnel

Active duty	34,665
Reserve	9,374
Guard	6,095
Civilians*	6,818
Contractors*	3,750
TOTAL	60,702

*As of Dec. 1, 2011

Deployed Operations

AF Medics deployed	1,362
Countries/Locations	19/53
CENTCOM patients moved	>92,000

From October 2001 to December 2011

Homestation Operations

Eligible Beneficiaries	2.6 million
Visits	6.4 million
Admissions	39,404

A Day in AFMS

In one day, AFMS will have:

24,475 Outpatient Visits
222 Surgery Procedures
136 Same Day Surgeries
86 Inpatients
29 Babies Delivered
168 Inpatient Admissions
61,578 Prescriptions Filled
31,601 Lab Procedures
4,637 Radiology Procedures
6,306 Dental Encounters