Independent duty tech's role a versatile one

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Kristina Barrett
  • 506th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs
KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) --  Although they have officially existed in the Air Force since the early 1950s, independent duty medical technicians can trace their roots to the days of the Roman Empire, who put the word medic into our vocabulary. Today, these IDMTs are often known as "Doc" to the Airmen they treat. 

Medical care has come a long way since the days of the Roman army. Staff Sgt. Jake Leyva, deployed from Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., is the only IDMT assigned to the 506th Expeditionary Medical Squadron here. He serves in multiple functions, including patient care, sick call, lab, bioenvironmental, public health, immunizations and dental.

“The whole idea is to send us where there are no other medical providers, and under those circumstances, we do it all,” he said. 

“IDMTs diagnose and treat (servicemembers) all under the license of a supervising doctor,” the Jackson, Tenn., native said. "We serve as a physician extender, a force multiplier.” 

The IDMT role at home station is in a training atmosphere strictly under the supervision of a doctor, Sergeant Leyva said. However, they serve more as a health care provider in the absence of a doctor at deployed or remote locations. 

“IDMTs are serving with special forces, security forces and civil engineer units throughout the area of operations,” he said. “But we are not limited to Air Force units. We can deploy with our sister services as well.” 

IDMTs must stay proficient in all aspects of their job, whether it’s seeing patients, testing the water, monitoring for food-borne illnesses or performing infection control. Whatever the job, it has a far reaching impact on deployed servicemembers.

“We have been given a huge responsibility that we take very seriously,” Sergeant Leyva said. “What we do or don’t do can have a huge impact on an individual or even an entire base.” 

Despite the level of responsibility, Sergeant Leyva said the daily challenges he deals with are more than worth it in terms of job satisfaction.

“I enjoy being able to be involved with taking care of people. It’s very hands-on work," he said. 

Although there are a variety of patients seen at the 506th EMEDS, Sergeant Leyva’s role in trauma patient care is more as a medical technician assisting the attending physician than as a member of a trauma team. 

“I have never experienced the level of trauma we see here,” he said. “But the training and experience will serve me well as I progress further in my career.” 

Sergeant Leyva’s career as an IDMT began in 2005 -- the same year the career field was changed from a special experience identifier on the medical technician specialty code to its own Air Force Specialty Code.

According to an historical account on the IDMT Association Web site, only a few enlisted Airmen were permitted to transfer from the Army Medical Service to the Air Force when it became a separate service in 1947. The Air Force began its own training program in the early 1950s when radar installations were being built and the need for more skilled technicians became apparent. Since these installations were manned with fewer than 100 people, it was neither cost-effective nor practical to assign a physician, dentist or other health care professional to every site. But since it was essential to have medical care available, the IDMTs were assigned to fill this need.

After the end of the Cold War in the late 1980s, the number of sites requiring independent medical support drastically decreased. However, the 1990s introduced new operational doctrine including military operations other than war. When operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom began, the need for IDMTs at bare-base locations increased.

The history is one to be proud of, said Chief Master Sgt. David Lewis, IDMT career field manager. 

“IDMTs of the past existed for the sole purpose of providing care for patients as the only enlisted provider," he said. “They truly want to do it for the sake of the patient.” 

Sergeant Leyva carries on the traditions and history of IDMTs before him. 

“No matter what, we always attempt to provide the highest level of care,” he said. “With a patient, there is no past and there is no future, it’s just the present and we do what we have to to fix them.”