Brigadier General Ruth A. Wong is the Air National Guard Assistant to the Director of Medical Readiness and Nursing Services, United States Air Force, The Surgeon General's Office, Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, District of Columbia. She is responsible for assisting the Director of Medical Readiness and Nursing Services in developing policies and procedures which enable total force resources to be mobilized and deployed in support of the United States Air Force's medical operations. She also monitors the readiness status, force structure changes and training of more than 7,000 Air National Guard medical and air evacuation unit personnel at 98 units and analyzes issues of mutual interest to assist in identifying and developing wartime requirements.
The general was commissioned into the United States Air Force as a Second Lieutenant in 1967 after she graduated from St. Mary's School of Nursing in Chicago, Illinois. In 1991, General Wong deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield/Storm as Aeromedical Evacuation Flight Commander at Sharjah Air Base, United Arab Emirates. She was selected as the ANG Assistant to USAF Director of Medical Readiness and Nursing Services in September of 1998.
EDUCATION:
1967 St. Mary's School of Nursing, Chicago, Ill.
1977 Bachelor of arts degree, Occidental College, Los Angeles, Calif.
1979 Master's degree in public health, University of California, Los Angeles, Calif.
1979 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.
1982 Air Command and Staff College, seminar
1986 Air War College, seminar
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. March 1968 ' March 1970, medical-surgical clinical nurse, pediatrics, obstetrics, and perioperative, USAF hospital, Barksdale AFB, La.
2. March 1970 - March 1972, obstetrical staff nurse, newborn nursery charge nurse, USAF Hospital, Tachikawa AB, Japan
3. March 1972 - August 1974, pediatrics charge nurse, nursing supervisor, pediatric nurse practitioner, USAF Hospital, Kirtland AFB, N.M.
4. September 1974 ' September 1977, pediatric nurse practitioner, Children's Hospital, Los Angeles, Calif.
5. September 1977 ' December 1980, pediatric nurse practitioner, Headstart Foundation East Los Angeles, Calif.
6. October 1980 ' June 1990, director of nursing service; disaster health services supervisor; instructor trainer educator for health services programs, American Red Cross, Pasadena, Calif.
7. December 1991 ' April 1992, aeromedical evacuation flight commander, deployed to Operation Desert Shield/Storm in Area Of Responsibility, United States Air Force
8. November 1977 ' October 1992, chief nurse executive, deputy commander, flight nurse, 146th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Channel Islands ANGS, Port Hueneme, Calif.
9. November 1992 ' August 1998, chief of aerospace medicine services and nursing services, Air National Guard Readiness Center (Headquarters), Andrews AFB, Md.
10. September 1998 ' present, ANG assistant to USAF director of medical readiness and nursing services, Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C.
FLIGHT INFORMATION:
Rating: Flight Nurse, Instructor
Flying Hours: 1200
Aircraft: Hercules C-130
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS:
Legion of Merit
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Army Commendation Medal
Air Force Achievement Medal
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Air Force Excellence Award
National Service Defense Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Southwest Asia Service Medal
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia)
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Emirate of Kuwait)
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:
1967, Diploma in Nursing, St Mary's School of Nursing, Chicago Ill.
1968, Certificate, pediatric nurse practitioner, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.
1974 - 1977, clinical instructor, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and California State University, Los Angeles, Calif., pediatric nurse practitioner graduate students
1977-1992, flight nurse instructor, Air National Guard, flight nurse qualification program
1978, US Air Force Flight Nurse Course
1979, Certification, pediatric nurse practitioner, National Board of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Associates, Los Angeles, Calif.
1982, Certificate, public health nursing, California State University, Long Beach, Calif.
1982 - 1990, public health field placement supervisor, California State University, Northridge, Calif.
1988 - 1990, co-author 'Nurse Assistant Training', American Red Cross Advisory Board, Nurse Assistant Training Program, National American Red Cross Disaster Health Services Coordinator, American Red
1990, Certificate, perioperative nursing, University of California, Los Angeles, Calif.
1995, Certified health promotion director; Cooper Institute, Dallas, Texas
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION:
Second Lieutenant Nov 7, 1967
First Lieutenant Aug 19, 1969
Captain Aug 19, 1972
Major Aug 19, 1982
Lieutenant Colonel Aug 19, 1988
Colonel Dec 28, 1993
Brigadier General Sep 1, 1998
(Current as of March 2000)