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Men’s Club hosts military members

By Staff | Apr 10, 2009

War Memorial Building German & King streets

When a nation sends its military personnel in harms way it incurs a sobering responsibility to ensure that it can provide the very best medical care possible should they sustain combat injuries. This is a major consideration in any decision to deploy U.S. forces overseas. While these demanding operations receive very little public attention, they are nonetheless a major component of our protracted military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. These 24/7 operations require a huge array of specialized equipment, medical and transportation infrastructure, and most importantly highly trained and dedicated medical personnel. The Shepherdstown Men’s Club is pleased to present for its April 15 program a glimpse of these impressive operations through the experience of two area participants; Lt. Col. Edythe McGoff and Lt. Col. Claudia Bell.

Both serve as Flight Nurses in the 167th Airlift Wing of the West Virginia Air National Guard and also play key roles in the provision of medical care in our community. Lt.Col. McGoff is currently the Trauma Services Manager of WVU Hospitals – East (City Hospital) in Martinsburg, an Adjunct Faculty member of Shenandoah University, and an American Red Cross Disaster Preparedness instructor. Lt.Col. Bell is an RN working on a fee-basis with the Department of Veterans Affairs in Martinsburg and assists FEMA in handling medical screening and evaluations at Mount Weather and also helps provide clinical nursing outpatient care. Although Lt. Col. Bell is currently deployed, we anticipate her contribution to our program.

Shepherdstown Men’s Club President Mike Austin commented that: “Both officers play key personal roles in this massive military medical care system that reaches around the globe but springs from communities like those here in the Eastern Panhandle. They represent an important aspect of our ability to sustain a high level of national security preparedness which is so dependent on the morale of our military personnel and their families. Having reassurance and comforting medical care on that long ride home is extremely important. He added that Lt.Col. McGoff and Lt.Col. Bell’s presentation is intentionally scheduled for after the Men’s Club dinner to allow all interested members of the community to attend free of charge. It will begin at 7:45 p.m.”