Cooper University Health Care recently hosted the graduation of the first two U.S. Air Force paramedics to complete the new Paramedic Currency Platform; a groundbreaking military medical readiness initiative developed in partnership with the 87th Medical Group at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
Senior Airmen Tristan Six and Jack Bredar earned their New Jersey state paramedic licenses after months of rigorous, hands-on training with Cooper EMS in Camden. During the program, they responded to more than 260 emergencies and gained invaluable exposure to high-acuity urban care not typically available within the Air Force’s scope of practice.
“This partnership enhances readiness and builds the future of battlefield medicine,” Lt. Col. Regina Tai See, 87th Healthcare Operations Squadron commander said.
The initiative was years in the making and grew out of early collaboration between Cooper’s Section of Military, Diplomatic and Field Affairs (MILDAF) and the 87th Medical Group. It now serves as a model for tri-service, real-world paramedic training.
Cooper is the only Level I trauma center serving southern New Jersey and is the busiest in the state and region. Thanks to its high-volume trauma caseload and deep expertise in surgery and critical care, Cooper is the only hospital in the United States to have trained elite medical providers from every military branch, as well as personnel from multiple local, state and federal agencies—including the Department of Homeland Security—and international partners. Established in 2013 with the U.S. Air Force Pararescue Jumpers (PJs), the MILDAF program has become a hub of medical expertise and collaboration, expanding rapidly in recent years.
“As a Level I trauma center and leading academic health system, Cooper is uniquely positioned to provide the hands-on training military medical teams need to develop the skills and experience to save lives on battlefields around the world,” Dr. John Chovanes, founding medical director and chief surgeon of Cooper’s Section of Military, Diplomatic and Field Affairs, and a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve Medical Corps.
Cooper is honored to continue this vital mission, with additional paramedic rotations already scheduled for later this year.
