Practicing mobile medicine and leaving a small footprint on a mission is just one the aspects of participating in Cope Thunder 06-01, said a flight surgeon here.

Six-year veteran Maj. (Dr.) John Cotton, said he is enjoying his first temporary duty assignment as the Cope Thunder flight surgeon. He deployed here from the 22nd Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.

“I’m sort of the baby flight doctor,” Doctor Cotton joked. He became a flight surgeon six weeks ago. “I wanted a challenge. I wanted to get more involved with operational side of the Air Force and I wanted the opportunity to fly.”

Being a flight surgeon permits the doctor to benefit from the “two best career fields in the Air Force -- flying and medicine -- and to work with the best of the best every day,” he said.

In addition to their medical duties, flight surgeons attend a two-month course to learn everything from ejecting from an aircraft to a five-day survival field exercise.

“I love what I do,” he said. “I enjoy the challenge of making and keeping people healthy as well as the excitement of flying.”

As a flight surgeon, the Texan must fly once a week. But with a shortage of flight surgeons across the Air Force -- and with a majority of them deployed or on temporary duty -- that can be difficult. Fortunately, he isn’t alone here.

“I get a lot of support from the Navy flight surgeon and the independent duty medical technician,” he said.

His Navy counterpart said Cope Thunder is a great experience.

“It’s been really great [working with the Air Force],” Navy Lt. (Dr.) David Hayes, from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.

“It’s been a great experience,” the Sailor from Oregon said. “I’m impressed [with the Air Force]. They are more technologically advanced and the independent duty medical technician makes my job easier.”

Rounding out the three-person team is Tech. Sgt. Layton Roubique, the IDMT, who is also from Spangdahlem.

“I am qualified to do everything from diagnosing a patient to writing prescriptions,” the 13-year veteran from Louisiana said.

As one of more than 400 Air Force IDMTs, Sergeant Roubique, is qualified to perform duties ranging from dental needs, dispense pharmaceuticals, stitching cuts, treating infections, and patching-up military members.

“We’re rare,” the sergeant said. The IDMT starts as a medical technician, but must meet certain qualifications, time in the career field and have a recommendation before going to a separate, more intense technical school.

Sergeant Roubique, who often deploys without a flight surgeon said, “Flight medicine is a lot different. Having two flight surgeons allows me to pay more attention to my patients.”

The sergeant said the team never lacks business.

“We’re never off duty,” the sergeant said. “There is always someone sick, always someone injured. We’re never off the clock.”

The team tends to all Cope Thunder participants’ medical needs, from respiratory infections to sprained ankles.

“It’s our job to keep as many flyers flying and wrenches turning as possible,” Doctor Cotton said. “But we haven’t had anything serious.”

Cope thunder is a two-week Pacific Air Forces exercise -- the command’s largest air combat training exercise. It involves more than 1,000 active-duty and Air National Guard Airmen and 87 aircraft with air operations being flown out of Eielson and Elmendorf Air Force Bases, Alaska.

Besides making better fliers, the exercise also gives ground forces -- like the medical team -- the chance to enhance skills, learn unit mission and train in a joint environment.

Doctor Cotton said Cope Thunder allows him to see how it all fits together -- from the aircrews to ground crews.

“I get the feeling what I do really matters -- that I’m directly affecting the mission,” he said.