JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – In 1984, President Ronald Reagan announced the first week in May as National Correctional Officer Appreciation Week. The duties of a correctional officer entail overseeing inmates to ensure they are safe, secure and supervised. This week, AFSFC is commemorating the event by recognizing several of the men and women across the enterprise who support the Air Force corrections and confinement mission.
Meet Staff Sgt. Karina Lopez, NCOIC, administrative services at AFSFC’s Det. 2, Naval Consolidated Brig, Miramar Naval Air Station, California. The nine-year veteran is the medical administrator at the facility’s clinical services Office. She provides administrative support to the psychologists, social workers and behavioral health technicians at the unit.
How do you contribute to the lethality and readiness of the Air Force?
One of my current responsibilities is to monitor and track the individual medical readiness of active-duty members at each of our detachments. I make contact with members to ensure they stay current on these requirements and provide senior leaders with current reports on a weekly basis.
What do you enjoy most about your mission?
Although my administrative duties are similar to those at previous duty stations, I enjoy the experience of working in such a unique environment. Not only have I learned about the corrections field, but also about the behavioral health field.
What motivates and inspires you the most?
I am motivated by learning new things, achieving goals and obtaining visible results. I am constantly looking for ways to improve processes that can help the team and the mission.