Passion and practice: How Patriot Medic ‘24 influenced Staff Sgt. Alexis Workman

FORT MCCOY SPARTA AIRFIELD, Wis. --

Sterile field versus field conditions. PA system echoing through halls versus land mobile radios crackling amidst gunfire. Scrubs versus camouflage uniforms. These concepts seem like inherent opposites, like they cannot exist within the same space. But what if a medical professional had the opportunity to master both?

The Reserve component of a military branch allows the part-time opportunity to acquire a trade that differs from one's lifestyle or typical status quo. However, there are times one finds the passion or the chance to practice what they love both on duty and as a civilian.

Staff Sgt. Alexis Workman, 911th Aeromedical Staging Squadron medic, finds contentment in practicing medicine as a student and as a Citizen Airman.

Workman has possessed a strong drive to work within the medical field since enlisting in 2019, pursuing a Reserve career as a medic. She quickly fell in love with the work and became more captivated by it the more she learned.

"I have always wanted to be in medicine," said Workman. "Because of this job, I have wanted to pursue further into the field and it has pushed me into nursing school."

Working as a reservist provided an advantage to Workman, as she gets to practice medicine in an operational setting while simultaneously attending a two-year Associate's program to become a registered nurse. Unlike many of her fellow students, Workman had unique opportunities to work in austere environments under strict timelines and significant pressure to increase resiliency, responsiveness and technical knowledge.

One such opportunity was Exercise Patriot Medic 2024, a two-week exercise in Sparta, Wisconsin, where participating squadrons emulated wartime tasks while demonstrating capabilities in managing administrative, medical and patient transport. PM24 included approximately 500 Air Force reservists across 14 units, who operated in conjunction with other branches of the U.S. military as well as partners from the British and Canadian armed forces and conducted four exercises simultaneously.

"The experience has been good," said Workman. "Personally, I was excited to get more time putting patients onto the flight line and to work in a completely developed En Route Patient Staging System package."

Managing an ERPPS facility entails patient staging, casualty care and administration support during contingency operations, as well as patient movement and evacuation to and from aircraft such as the C-17 Globemaster III. These are tasks typically not performed during her Unit Training Assembly duties, and most definitely not in her civilian studies. The exercise provided the unique opportunity to blend what she does as a Steel Airman with what she is learning in her education, strengthening her confidence and expertise in both.

"The opportunities I've had in the military have definitely helped me on my civilian side," said Workman. "I've worked at hospitals across different states. I participated in exercises like Patriot Medic, working out of a tent, and I had to learn to use limited resources to get the job done. A lot of other people I go to school with have never gotten to work in other places before and do the things we do on the Reserve side."

Aside from technical practice, the exercise also empowered Airmen to become leaders. Workman reflected on shadowing opportunities she and others had during the exercise, where supervisors encouraged them to take charge, delegate and manage a team.

PM24 also emphasized the dichotomy of civilian healthcare and combat care. Where Workman's UTA duties and school studies focus more on day-to-day operations in a controlled setting, PM24 brought an element of moral grayness and time-critical field care. Sometimes, the hard decisions have to be made expeditiously of who lives and dies in order to maintain mission effectiveness or to avoid ambush.

"We are performing in a tactical environment," said Workman. "We have to protect our patients to the best of our abilities, but we also have to protect ourselves and each other from the elements at play."

Working as a medical professional in exercises such as PM24 has given Workman a sense of excitement and perspective, she said. Repetition and practice in the field improve her credibility in her education. These experiences drive her asiprations toward a Bachelor's and commissioning as an Air Force Reserve nurse, so that she can continue to nurture her passion for medicine in both worlds.

"Coming into the military as a medical professional - I didn't expect it to be as intense as it is sometimes," said Workman. "It is stressful, but it has taught me a lot about myself and that I can get through it and do what needs to be done."

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