One clinic, one doctor, one mission: Sustaining health in the Indo-Pacific

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Matthew Mullinix, 513th Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operations Repair Squadron Engineers Squadron physician’s assistant, poses in front of his medical clinic at Tinian North Field, Tinian, April 23, 2025. Mullinix’s clinic is capable of treating and stabilizing trauma patients in the event of an accident taking place during the rehabilitation of Tinian North Field. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Natasha Ninete)

TINIAN NORTH FIELD, Tinian -- The 513th Expeditionary Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operations Repair Squadron Engineers Squadron (ERHS) has been actively working on the restoration of the historical Tinian airfield for over a year now.

Lt. Col. Matthew Mullinix, 513 ERHS physician’s assistant originally attached to the 201st Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operations Repair Squadron Engineers Squadron (RHS), serves as the squadron’s sole doctor and medical expert for the next six months on Tinian.

“It’s a very exciting mission to be a part of, particularly because of the historical aspect,” said Mullinix. “But the event of a traumatic injury does present a challenging situation given our remote location and that it is just me as the expert.”

Rotating and activating Airmen from Active, Guard and Reserve units across the United States every six months, the current rotation, 25.2, consists of Airmen from 201 RHS from the Pennsylvania Air National Guard and the 254th Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operations Repair Squadron Engineers Squadron (RHS) from the Guam Air National Guard.

The need for onsite treatment capabilities is in part due to the frequent use of heavy operational equipment and the airfield’s remote location. This prompted Mullinix to stand up an onsite emergency clinic equipped to provide advanced trauma care, enough to stabilize the patient until a medevac arrives.

“I set my area up so that it is more conducive to taking care of anything from minor illnesses to severe, traumatic injuries,” said Mullinix. “We’re working in intense heat and around a lot of heavy equipment, so there’s a lot of potential for traumatic injuries to occur.”

An onsite clinic of this capacity supports the mission and ability of 513 ERHS while also aligning with the ACE initiative, a PACAF led concept to shift generation of airpower from large, centralized bases to networks of smaller, dispersed locations within a hub-and-spoke framework. This concept enables Lt. Col Mullinix and future medical units to be self-sufficient and self-sustainable in any location, including such remote, austere environments.

Andersen Air Force Base