Public Health Flight wins Outstanding Public Health Team Award Published March 3, 2009 By Staff Sgt. Logan Tuttle 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- The Public Health Flight of the 52nd Aerospace Medical Squadron recently received the Lt. Col. George M. Prascsak Jr. Outstanding Public Health Team of the Year award for excelling in overall team performance contributing to the Air Force mission. The Air Force level award was started in 2006 and this is the second year the Sabers have taken home the honor. Maj. Lynn Shinaberry, Public Health Flight commander, said she feels everyone contributed. "Last year the flight had a huge turnover in the non-commissioned officer ranks, and therefore lost a lot of its corporate knowledge," she said. "Junior Airmen stepped up to fill the holes until replacements came in. Everyone helped where they could, doing jobs they wouldn't normally do. The new NCOs had to jump right in soon as they arrived." Despite the challenges they faced, Major Shinaberry said it seemed like the team had worked together for several years. "There were a few bumps, but it smoothed out pretty quickly. It was amazing to see how quickly everyone gelled together," she said. Major Shinaberry also said this award did not just reflect the efforts of the public health flight, but the 52nd Medical Group and even the 52nd Fighter Wing as a whole since public health works regularly with much of the base. "Teamwork is fundamental to this award. It's fundamental to how the flight operates every day," Major Shinaberry said. "Flight members work together to complete tasks that are outside their every day program administration. If someone is out of pocket, someone else eagerly steps in to fill the void. If somebody is over-tasked somebody else volunteers to help. They really take care of each other," she said. Despite the success of winning the award two years in a row, the public health flight intends to keep the same standards that helped them win in the first place. "We will continue to operate at the same level we have for the last 24 months because we have a great team," Major Shinaberry said. "Everyone in the flight understands that we play an integral role in supporting and executing the mission of the 52nd Fighter Wing. It is a responsibility we do not take lightly and requires our best team effort."