News

Celebrating the Robins Biomedical Sciences Corps

  • Published
  • By Jenny Gordon
  • 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga --  The mission of the Air Force Biomedical Sciences Corps at Robins is to provide excellent customer service and scientific expertise.

For the first time here, Jan. 23 through 27 was recognized as BSC Week to recognize professionals from across various specialties.

Now in its 47th year, the BSC was created in 1965 as a separate entity from the Air Force Medical Service Corps.

There are 17 BSC specialties - of which 10 are represented within the 78th Medical Group. They include physical therapy, optometry, physician's assistants, audiology and speech pathology, clinical psychology, clinical social work, bioenvironmental engineering, public health, pharmacy and biomedical laboratory.

In the Air Force Medical Service, including the BSC, there are separate corps, including those for medical services, nurses, administrators and dentists.

"What makes the Biomedical Sciences Corps so different from other services is its diversity," said Col. James Dienst, 78th MDG commander. "As a patient moving through the clinical process here, you will touch multiple BSC's and not even know it.

"We are bigger than people think, and happen to be one of the larger medical groups in the Air Force that is not a hospital," he added.

There are currently 67 officers assigned to the group; 27 in the BSC.

They are included among about 500 active duty personnel, civilians and contractors who make up the workforce.

Including services offered in the base clinic, there are also programs from occupational medicine, bioenvironmental, drug testing and the Health and Wellness Center.

As part of the celebration, days were designated to highlight active duty, civilians and contractors; and mental health, the employee assistance program, optometry, pharmacy and lab, therapy and rehabilitation, hearing conservation, public health and food safety. Spotlights were also conducted on former and current deployed members.