Grand Forks enlisted member among 21 selected for physician assistant program

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GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Nearly two dozen enlisted Airmen - including one from Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D. - have been selected for the 2013 Interservice Physician Assistant Program, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced.

Tech. Sgt. Jeffery Allen Rueben, who belongs to the 319th Civil Engineer Squadron, is among the selectees.

Rueben has also earned the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Firefighter Award; the Air Mobility Command Fire Officer of the Year; the Air Force Sergeants Association Division 89 NCO of the Year; and the 319th Air Base Wing's NCO of the Year. All of the awards were for 2011.

"I feel very blessed," Rueben said. "I consider myself lucky to have been able to receive so much support from leadership; it has been amazing."

The first group begins training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, in December, said Kevin Smith, the education manager at the AFPC Biomedical Sciences Corps Education and Utilization Branch. Airmen who successfully complete the program will be commissioned as first lieutenants.

"We had 43 interested applicants this year, and selected 21 for the program," Smith said. "They all had very strong packages, so we anticipate a very successful class."

December 2012
Master Sgt. Michael A. Klose
Master Sgt. Tyler O. Stutzman
Tech. Sgt. Billy Joseph Atherton
Tech. Sgt. Thomas M. Vaughn
Tech. Sgt. Steven Mathew Wendover
Staff Sgt. Jeannette A. Cruz
Staff Sgt. Heather Lynn Widel

April 2013
Tech. Sgt. Ryian B. Caviness
Tech. Sgt. Marland E. Fox
Tech. Sgt. Lee Frederick Pietryk
Tech. Sgt. Jeffery Allen Rueben
Staff Sgt. Michelle Lee Bos
Staff Sgt. Jason William Duren
Staff Sgt. Patrick Nathaniel Thomas

August 2013
Senior Airman Elissa Nicole Beebe
Senior Airman Nicholas Cruz Bialobos
Senior Airman David Brooks Hickox
Senior Airman Adrian E. Jones
Senior Airman Megan Leigh Stanton,
Senior Airman Joshua Jarry Vanness
Senior Airman Calvin Jovon Williams

The average selectee is 28 years old, has 8 years in service and has an SAT composite score of 1,738, said Smith.

For more information about Air Force medical fields and opportunities, go to the medical knowledge exchange site. For information about other personnel issues, visit the Air Force Personnel Services website.