Vanderzwaag wins ‘Flight Nurse of the Year’

Capt. Bryce Vanderzwaag was awarded the Dolly Vinsant Flight Nurse of the Year Award Aug. 21. This is the second year in a row that an officer from the 86th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron has won the prestigious award.

***image1***The award, named after Lt. Wilma (Dolly) Roland Vinsant who was a flight nurse during World War II, recognizes an Air Force individual who has gone above and beyond in their duties in aeromedical evacuations.

“Captain Vanderzwaag won the award because he embodied the spirit of Lieutenant Dolly Vinsant by volunteering at great personal risk to fly missions into combat zones in order to bring help to the ill and injured,” said Maj. LaRhonda Gray, 86th AES Operations Flight commander.

In the past year, Captain Vanderzwaag flew more than 380 combat hours on 85 combat sorties, helping hundreds of injured troops.

The South Dakota native has four daughters – ages 18, 16, 11 and 6 – who call their dad, “Captain V, the super hero.”

“My job is very humbling and rewarding,” Captain Vanderzwaag said. “Every day I get to put on a flight suit and save lives.”

Captain Vanderzwaag was once interested in medical illustration but once in college, he chose to pursue the nursing program and worked as a civilian registered nurse before joining the U.S. Air Force.
 
The life of a flight nurse is not easy for a family. Captain Vanderzwaag, like many other aeromedical evacuation personnel, is on standby to deploy at a moment’s notice to anywhere in Southwest Asia or the United States. A workday can be anywhere from a few hours to 18, depending on the mission, he said.

“My wife and kids have to sacrifice their time with me so I can do the job that I love,” he said.