The most recent appropriations for the Department of War expired at 11:59 p.m. EST on September 30, 2025. Military personnel will continue in a normal duty status without pay until such time as a continuing resolution or appropriations are passed by Congress and signed into law. Civilian personnel not engaged in excepted activities will be placed in a non-work, non-pay status.
If you have a scheduled appointment or other business at the MTF, please verify with your provider or applicable office within the MTF to ensure there are no changes in schedule. To learn how the lapse in appropriations affects your TRICARE benefit, visit tricare.mil/shutdown.
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Tag: EMS Week

Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield emergency medical services chief Jim Ochoa briefs Winn Army Community Hospital medical personnel on Sept. 29, 2024 in preparation for receiving patients evacuated by medical Black Hawk helicopters from Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center on Fort Eisenhower to Winn in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Ochoa has served at the installation in EMS since 1997 and took over as the chief in 2016. In that role, he is responsible for the overall operation of the medical response assets on the military installation, ensuring the fleet of three ambulances are staffed with at least one paramedic each around the clock and ready to respond all day, every day, to any number of situations.

May 9, 2025

Stewart-Hunter EMS chief ensures seconds count by keeping medical response skills sharp

FORT STEWART, Ga. — For the over 200,000 acres encompassing Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield, Jim Ochoa is the calm in the storm, the steady hand guiding the critical first moments of a medical crisis. As chief of emergency medical services, Ochoa doesn't just manage a team; he orchestrates a lifeline, ensuring that when the unthinkable happens, a well-equipped and highly trained ambulance crew is ready to make every second count. His first responder colleagues also praise him for his role as a mentor, friend, leader, and community servant. In his role as the EMS chief, Ochoa is responsible for the overall operation of the medical response assets on the military installation, ensuring the fleet of three ambulances are staffed with at least one paramedic each around the clock and ready to respond all day, every day, to any number of situations.

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