Kunsan’s laboratory professionals get results

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jonathan Steffen
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  If you thought Chuck Norris could draw a lot of blood then you haven't met the laboratory technicians from the Wolf Pack. National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week is April 18 - 24 and is a way to annually recognize the medical laboratory professionals who play a crucial role for Wolf Pack member's health care.

Like the diseases the laboratory technicians detect sometimes it hard to recognize the professionals who work behind the scenes. The NMLPW allows these technicians to inform the public about the medical laboratory.

Kunsan's medical laboratory performs between 1500 to 2000 test a month.

"We help the wing maintain a war fighter status," said Tech Sgt. Chris Hinton, 8th Medical Support Squadron lab technician.

Without the tests the laboratory technicians perform the doctors would have a difficult time diagnosing what ails a patient.

"There are some decisions that we have to make based on those lab results," said Lt. Col Edgar Rodriguez, 8th Medical Operations Squadron commander. "These decisions are time critical. The Kunsan laboratory really provides that service for us here."

Another way the medical laboratory at Kunsan helps maintain the Wolf Pack war fighting readiness is through the frozen blood program. The frozen blood program is a way to store masses of blood for long periods of time and then be thawed out for war time contingencies.

"Without the blood we could not support the injured" said Sergeant Hinton.

Throughout the week the medical laboratory will have a display featuring different aspects of their job to include parasitology, hematology, microbiology, chemistry, and urinalysis.

When Chuck Norris draws blood it usually means the end to that person. Rest assured, when the lab techs take Wolf Pack members blood, getting that member back to warfighter status is the top priority.