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Manas Airmen welcome new medical group commander

  • Published
  • By Maj. Damien Pickart
  • 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan --  Colonel Gerard Caron assumed command of the 376th Expeditionary Medical Group in a change of command ceremony here, Jan. 7.

Colonel Caron replaces Col. Roosevelt Allen Jr. who completed a four-month deployment and will return to Minot Air Force Base, N.D., where he serves as the 5th Medical Group commander.

"Today is both a bittersweet and a special day as we say goodbye to Colonel Allen and welcome Colonel Caron to the Manas team as he prepares to take the 376th Expeditionary Medical Group to the next level," said Col. Christopher Bence, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing commander. "Colonel Allen, you can be proud of knowing your Airmen have been outstanding in every aspect of keeping the mission going and for that I thank you. Colonel Caron, your background and preparation has truly set the foundation for your command tour ahead and made you the right warrior to lead the 376th EMDG."

Colonel Caron served in the Commissioned Corps, United States Public Health Service, National Health Service Corps, and was in private practice in Brooks, Maine, prior to accepting a commission in the Air Force Dental Corps in 1986. He is a diplomate of the Federal Services Board of General Dentistry and the American Board of General Dentistry. Colonel Caron earned a Mastership in the Academy of General Dentistry 2001 and achieved Fellowship in the International College of Dentists in 2006. He is a past Air Force delegate to the American Dental Association, House of Delegates.

He is deployed to Manas AB from Randolph AFB, Texas, where he serves as Deputy Command Surgeon for Air Education and Training Command, providing daily oversight and leadership for 14 medical units with over 10,000 personnel assigned to two medical centers, 11 medical treatment facilities and a training group.

"Colonel Bence, thank you for selecting me to be a part of this team," said Colonel Caron. "In my three short days on station, I have come to see the teamwork, the pride and the successes of this exceptional expeditionary wing. I will do everything I can to help continue the record of excellence that has been set here."

Under Colonel Allen's command, the 376th EMDG set several accomplishments and enhanced the Manas mission. The group earned top honors as the top base out of 13 wings in the U.S. Air Forces Central area of operations, maintaining a 100-percent vaccination rate for nine weeks. Colonel Allen championed an outreach initiative, partnering with a Kyrgyz Imaging Center to provide continuous medical access to U.S. and coalition personnel deployed to and transiting through Manas; an initiative that saved more than $1.3 million dollars annually. He also fostered lasting relations with three Kyrgyz hospitals, the U.S. Embassy and the U.S. Peace Corps in Kyrgyzstan.

"Being a commander, though at times filled with a number of challenges, is also rewarding and is one of the greatest honors and privileges a military officer can have," said Colonel Allen. "The opportunity to command at a deployed location to keep warriors healthy so they can do their job is even more special and a truly rewarding experience. Some of my fondest memories will be the time I spent here at Manas AB."

Manas AB serves as the premier air mobility hub supporting coalition and International Security Assistance Force operations in Afghanistan. Its primary missions include aerial refueling and mobility support to include intra-theater combat airlift, airdrop and aeromedical evacuations.