Category: US Airforce

The IRT program is a unique U.S. DoD initiative that enhances military readiness through hands-on, real-world training while delivering critical services to communities in need.

“This is a great opportunity to not only get services that the community may not be able to afford but they can see what the military provides”, said Cathy Swafford, Rhea County community lead. “You can tell that [the military members] just really want to serve their community and give back.”

Operation Healthy Tennessee brought together service members across the joint force, fostering an environment to strengthen readiness while offering services such as medical, dental, optometry, nutrition counseling and veterinary care, all provided at no cost by credentialed professionals.

“We are providing a great level of service,” stated Maj. Ralph Garcia, Bledsoe County officer in charge. “It’s a collaborative joint effort to bring resources to underserved communities.”

The mission proved to be a powerful example of the program’s impact, making a strong contribution towards the IRT Program.

In just 10 days, two medical clinic locations served 2,000 patients and completed more than 15,000 medical, dental and optometry procedures. The veterinary team treated 677 pets, delivering services valued at $314,465. A specialized optometry team, assigned to the mission as part of a Naval Ophthalmic Readiness Activity, built and distributed more than 770 pairs of glasses for those in need.

The fair market value of all medical and veterinary services provided is totaled at $1.9 million.

“Training is such an important part of an IRT,” said Lt. Danielle Lloyd, Operation Healthy Tennessee officer in charge. “Although we are providing much needed medical care to this community, at the same time, we are training to make sure we are staying mission ready.”

The operation logged more than 25,000 training hours across categories including readiness, certification, clinic skills, ad-hoc tasks and hands-on training.

IRT missions, like Operation Healthy Tennessee, often represent a once-in-a-career opportunity, and participants are encouraged to fully embrace the collaborative environment, network with fellow service members and connect with the public to which we are caring for to maximize the experience.

“Now that we’ve had our last day of clinical care and we’re able to see the final numbers, it’s such a good feeling to see that we’ve helped so many community members,” Lloyd said. “There’s no better feeling than seeing someone who desperately needed care and being able to provide it at no cost.”