APU commander tops in USAF

  • Published
  • By Frank McIntyre
  • Public Affairs
Vance Air Force Base, Okla. --  A current and a former Team Vance members were recently named Air Force Medical Service Award winners as best in their categories for 2005.
Maj. Alan Leimenstoll, 71 Medical Operations Squadron physiology flight commander is the Air Force Aerospace Physiology Field Grade Officer of the Year. Senior Airman Christian Adams, formerly with the 71st MDOS flight medicine section, received the Olsen-Wagner Award for Aeromedical Airman of the Year.
Airman Adams transferred to the 43rd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Pope AFB, N.C. last fall and is currently deployed to Southwest Asia.
"I'm extremely flattered by this recognition," Maj. Leimenstoll said. "But I think it's more of a reflection of the team effort of the APU rather than just my personal accomplishments."
The APU trains aircrew members to survive and fly by understanding the changes the body undergoes during flight. The Vance APU is the second busiest of the 18 APUs Air Force wide, conducting 17,849 class hours last year.
"Major Leimenstoll has a great team working for him. This award not only speaks to his accomplishments, but to the entire APU," said Lt. Col. Craig Christensen, 71st MDOS commander. "This award validates what I have known about Major Leimenstoll all along. With his leadership and attention to detail, the Aerospace Physiology Unit is one section that I never have to worry about."
Major Leimenstoll said his proudest accomplishments the past year were the "outstanding, best seen" rating the flight achieved during the Air and Education Training Command Operational Readiness Inspection in August and the "zero discrepancy, outstanding" rating during the Curriculum and Training Maintenance inspection conducted on behalf of the Surgeon General's office in September.
A 24-year Air Force veteran, Major Leimenstoll began his career as an enlisted dental technician. About midway through his career, he was accepted into the physician's assistant program and served as a PA until retraining into his current speciality in 1999.
Major Leimenstoll maintains his PA credentials and supplements the care provider staff at the clinic as well as working as a PA part-time in the civilian sector.
The married father of two sons is also very active in the base and local communities. He was the base project officer for last year's Special Olympics, a Habitat for Humanity project volunteer and speaks to local groups on behalf of the Air Force.