Medical expertise from Saudi Arabia to Alaska

MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- The 341st Medical Group's new commander has helped pave the way for new health care programs, provided on-the-spot health care assistance on multiple occasions and is bringing his ingenuity and leadership to the Malmstrom Clinic. 

Col. Bradley Herremans arrived at Malmstrom in July from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, where he was the deputy commander of the 3rd Medical Group. 

Although he has been stationed in both extremes as far as climates go, serving tours in areas ranging from Saudi Arabia to Alaska, and although he has experienced four hurricanes while stationed at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., Colonel Herremans said he enjoys the opportunity to experience different things. 

"I haven't had a bad assignment," said Colonel Herremans. "Every one has been different, the challenges and the environment have been different, and that's what makes being in the Air Force enjoyable." 

During his eight-month tour in Saudi Arabia during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Colonel Herremans helped move 1,200 patients between August of 1990 and April of 1991. 

"The patients were moved from forward locations, air bases and ships throughout the area of responsibility to several staging facilities in theater," said Colonel Herremans. "Some were treated at field hospitals, some were transported to hospitals in Europe and others yet were taking to the Navy hospital ships Mercy or Comfort. Patients had everything from traumatic battle field injuries to broken bones from playing football in their off-time. The actual ground war produced far less battle injuries than were projected, but we still had a considerable number of disease, non-battle injuries throughout the AOR." 

"That was definitely a rewarding experience," said Colonel Herremans. 

Saudi Arabia is also the setting of one of Colonel Herremans' fondest Air Force memories; the day he got the phone call that the Gulf War had finally ended. 

"I was sitting in a command post in Saudi Arabia when the phone call came in informing us that the president had stopped military operations in Saudi Arabia," said Colonel Herremans. 

"We were all pretty excited and we celebrated as much as you can celebrate in Saudi," he said with a smile. "We all knew that meant we would be able to go home shortly thereafter and it is a great feeling to know you've been involved with something successful." 

Another memorable experience for Colonel Herremans took place Sept. 11, 2001, while he was stationed at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C, as the Director of Staff at the Air Force surgeon general's office. 

"We were getting ready to provide a medical response to the World Trade Center in New York, and then we looked over the Potomac River and saw the fireball at the Pentagon," said Colonel Herremans. "A lot of patient movement items at Andrews Air Force Base were already being mobilized to New York. We moved some of them right over to the Pentagon and started hauling people out of there." 

The Colonel also had a hand in establishing TRICARE for Life, which gives retirees over the age of 65 the opportunity to continue taking advantage of health care offered by the Air Force and receive Medicare assistance. Prior to that, he said, retirees over 65 had to carry gap Medicare insurance that could cost them up to $700 a month for health care Colonel Herremans feels retirees had already earned from serving twenty or more years in the military. 

"While at MacDill we conducted a demonstration project titled "MacDill 65," said Colonel Herremans. "We enrolled 2,000 folks over the age of 65 into the medical treatment facility for a three-year demonstration project. The idea was to provide healthcare to a wonderful group of Americans that previously did not have access to the MTF. The "MacDill 65" project and several similar programs from around the country laid the ground work for what became TRICARE for Life making TRICARE the secondary payer to Medicare for our retired patriots over the age of 65. This significantly reduced the need for Medicare supplements and gave folks much greater access to the healthcare system." 

While his numerous assignments have left lasting impressions, Colonel Herremans said he and his family are excited to see what Montana has to offer. 

Colonel Herremans, his wife, Kim, and their daughter, Kelly, plan to take advantage of some of the hiking and skiing in Montana. He also said he planned to learn how to fly fish and will be involved with his daughter's activities at Great Falls High School. 

As far as his education, Colonel Herremans graduated from Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Mich., in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and economics. He said his favorite classes in college were finance and economics. 

"Understanding money and markets and how that influences so much that happens in society is important," he said. "It's good to understand how and why it influences certain areas and how money can influence the health care market every day." 

The Colonel said his least favorite class was accounting. "It was so boring!" he added. 

After receiving his Masters in Business Administration and Finance at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Mich., in 1986, Colonel Herremans was contacted by a recruiter about a career as a medical officer in the Air Force. 

"My first impression was, 'What do they want with me?!'" said the Colonel. "But I accepted an interview, put in an application and the rest is history." 

Colonel Herremans said he was glad that he took the opportunity to see what the Air Force had to offer and now, 20 years later, he is still making the most of his decision.