Travis Airman continues family tradition

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Robert Hicks
  • 621st Contingency Response Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – Growing up as a child, one Airman from the 349th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, watched her father as he prepared his Air Force flight suit and luggage for a trip, and knew he was going somewhere important to make a difference. She wanted to ensure she did the same one day.

Senior Airman Heather Flitcroft, 349th AMDS, relocated to more than eight military bases growing up and loved the atmosphere surrounding the Air Force. From then on, she knew the military was the only career path for her.

“I enjoyed growing up in a military family,” Flitcroft said. “I’ve had the opportunity to travel the world and see things my peers haven’t, plus I had the chance to tour aircraft with my father, who influenced me to join the military and make a difference.”

Flitcroft joined the Air Force to be an aerospace medical technician with the reserves, and is currently on orders helping the 571st Mobility Support Advisory Squadron and the 349th Air Mobility Operations Squadron as the unit’s fitness monitor, unit health monitor and deployment manager. 

She explained working with the 571st MSAS, 349th AMOS and the 349th AMDS is a lot of work, but the most important thing is she gets to wear the uniform every day.

 “I love working with the 571st MSAS,” Flitcroft said. “If I had the opportunity to be an active duty Airmen, this is the unit I would want to work for. They go on so many great missions and its incredible hearing about all the excellent things they are doing to not only build partnerships but create lasting relationships.”

“Since I started working with the two squadrons I’ve learned that their missions are so unique,” Flitcroft said. “Each unit has so many different Air Force Specialty Codes that work together to accomplish the mission, it gives me an overview of how the Air Force works on a smaller scale. These units must work as one to succeed.”

As an aerospace medical service specialists Flitcroft assist doctors and cares for patients in a wide range of situations.

“Being a reservist and working with medical, I get the opportunity to clear Airmen and ensure they have everything they need to deploy,” she said. “I use to wish I could be the one going on these missions to see what happens, but working with the MSAS and AMOS made me realize what I was doing was just as important.”

Flitcroft added that the group has made her feel a lot better about her job as to what she was doing in the beginning of her career.  

While Flitcroft is on active orders with the 621st AMAG she continues to work with the 349th AMDS one weekend a month.

"Senior Airman Flitcroft is an enthusiastic Airman with incredible potential to become one of the Air Force's best Airman,” said Chief Master Sgt. Regina Buckhalter, 349th Medical Group superintendent. “The Medical Group is fortunate to have her as one of our star medics who worked to improve the medical standards processes within the Aerospace Medicine Squadron."

“I want to make a difference, and whatever it takes I’m going to do it,” Flitcroft said.