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Malmstrom nurse recognized by community for military, medical service

By Senior Airman Eydie Sakura, 341st Space Wing Public Affairs Office / Published October 17, 2007

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MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- A clinical nurse with the 341st Medical Operations Squadron received the only "honorable mention" award for her nomination as a "Woman to Watch" in the 18 to 34 year age category at the What Women Want Expo Oct. 12 to 13 in Great Falls, Mont. 

Capt. Holli Bellusci has been stationed at Malmstrom since March 2005 and is currently the officer in charge of flight medicine here. Prior to her service in the Air Force, she was an Army nurse for four years. Her patients are primarily missileers and fliers who are part of the operational portion of the wing's mission. 

"I have always been a caring person and knew at an early age I wanted to take care of people," the captain said. "[The flight medicine clinic] is here to support the mission and the people and we'll do whatever we can to get it accomplished. I actually love what I do, which is taking care of people and keeping them healthy." 

Captain Bellusci heard about the award and her nomination from her sister who is currently in the Army as an acquisitions officer in Washington, D.C. 

"It's a nicety to be nominated for awards, but I never think I deserve them," Captain Bellusci said. "If I give 100 percent of myself every day then I'm just doing my job. Really, my reward comes from my patients and my staff." 

The "Women to Watch" award coordinator, Karen Ogden, said the award committee wanted to recognize the achievements of Montana women who are working to make their communities better places to live and work, and that was the sole purpose of the award. 

"We looked for women who made an exceptional impact through their career, volunteerism, activism or other efforts," Ms. Ogden said. "Captain Bellusci's work as a nurse, her dedication to her profession and her strength in juggling her work and family responsibilities while her husband, Maj. Anthony Sarica, is deployed to Iraq, made her an ideal nominee." 

Captain Bellusci said her husband has been gone for six months and they have another six months to go before they are reunited. She manages her role as full-time mother and full-time active-duty officer by taking it day-by-day. 

"Life slows down a lot more because you can only get so much done in a certain amount of time," the mother of two said. "I commend the mothers who stay home with their kids when the fathers are deployed. I get a break from my kids by coming to work. They hardly ever get a break." 
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