Alaska Air National Guard Capt. Roger Tran, the Nuclear Medical Science Officer for the 103rd Civil Support team, tests COVID-19 samples at the Alaska State Public Health laboratory on June 8, 2020.
Alaska Army National Guard Capt. Jamie Bowden, who specializes in medical operations for the 103rd Civil Support team, tests COVID-19 samples at the Alaska State Public Health laboratory on June 8, 2020.
Alaska Air National Guard Capt. Roger Tran, the Nuclear Medical Science Officer for the 103rd Civil Support team, leads the unit in assessing biological hazards at a validation exercise in Anchorage, Aug. 4, 2020.
"Alaska Air National Guard Capt. Roger Tran, the Nuclear Medical Science Officer for the 103rd Civil Support team, alongside Alaska Army National Guard capt. Jamie Bowden, a Medical Operations officer for the CST, participate in a unit validation exercise in Anchorage, Aug. 4, 2020.
Released: Sept. 14, 2020 Download By: Sgt. Seth LaCount Joint Force Headquarters Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — From early June, to mid August Alaska Air and Army National Guardsmen Capt. Roger Tran and Capt. Jamie Bowden both assigned to the 103rd Civil Support Team, augmented the Alaska State Public Health laboratory by processing COVID 19 samples for testing.
Over the course of approximately 21 days of testing, totaling more than 148-man hours, the two officers tested 11,426 samples.
“I feel honored, for our unit to have been considered for this important task,” said Bowden who specializes in medical operations for the 103rd CST. “This mission is right in our wheelhouse and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work alongside, and in support of the community.”
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, lab testing is a specialized skill. To be done effectively, it requires people with the extensive training and supervision, along with requisite knowledge and skills pertinent to the lab environment.
Guardsmen in CST units have a specialized capability of responding to a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incident Bowden and Tran come with a wealth of expertise they’ve acquired throughout their career s Both servicemembers have completed the U.S. Army’s Analytical Lab Course, which reenforces specific skillsets and techniques they’ve employed in the testing effort like Polymerase Chain Reactions
Tran and Bowden were both recognized by the Rasmuson foundation as “Unsung Heroes” for their work during the pandemic.
The Commissioner and Adjutant General of the Alaska National Guard, Maj. Gen. Torrence Saxe gave high praise to both servicemembers for their dedication to excellence.
“While we are proud of the whole team at Military and Veterans Affairs, these two indi viduals stand out for selfless service, innovative approaches, and going above and beyond,” Saxe said.
In addition to supporting the Analytical Laboratory System operator request by the state that was coordinated through the State Emergency Operation Center, Bowden and Tran recently participated in their unit’s Terminal Proficiency Evaluation which serve d as a validation for the unit on August 4, 2020
This type of validation is done once every 18 to 24 months. The training evaluated by an outside civil support team, replicated a notional scenario where an unknown biological hazard was present, with a request for assistance from the FBI.
“Our team executed this validation with speed and precision, said Tran, who works as the Nuclear Medical Science O fficer for the 103 rd CST. “It’s a testament to the collective attitude and work ethic of our unit as a whole.”
