Biomedical Sciences Corps in action

Thomas Lee, 51st Medical Support Squadron pharmacist, checks prescription labels at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Aug. 27, 2014. Pharmacists check labels to make sure that patients receive the proper amount of medicine and that the dosage amount is correct. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Matthew Lancaster/Released)

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Biomedical Sciences Corps in action

Capt. See Vang, 51st Aerospace Medicine Squadron optometrist (right), gives an eye exam to Capt. Lester Morales Vazquez, 51st AMDS chief of bioenvironmental operations, at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Aug. 27, 2014. Patients who wear glasses or contacts should receive an eye exam every one to two years. If the exam determines that your eyesight has changed, the optometrist will prescribe new glasses. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Matthew Lancaster/Released)

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Biomedical Sciences Corps in action

Capt. Candra Case, 51 Medical Operations Squadron physician assistant, looks into the ear of Capt. Lester Morales Vazquez, 51st Aerospace Medicine Squadron chief of bioenvironmental operations, at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Aug. 27, 2014. Physician assistants examine patients, diagnose injuries and illnesses, such as the flu or a broken bone, and provide treatment for them. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Matthew Lancaster/Released)

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Biomedical Sciences Corps in action

Capt. Veronika Khrakovskaya, 51st Medical Operations Squadron physical therapist, performs dry needling therapy at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Aug. 27, 2014. Dry needling is an acupuncture technique that involves inserting an acupuncture needle into a trigger point and is typically used to treat the pain associated with injuries. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Matthew Lancaster/Released)

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Biomedical Sciences Corps in action

Capt. Raheem Lay, 51st Medical Operations Squadron family advocacy program chief, talks with a patient at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Aug. 27, 2014. The family advocacy program is a part of mental health and is dedicated to domestic violence prevention, spousal, and child abuse prevention, education, prompt reporting, intervention and treatment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Matthew Lancaster/Released)

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Biomedical Sciences Corps in action

Capt. Lester Morales Vazquez, 51st Aerospace Medicine Squadron chief of bioenvironmental operations, uses a HAZMATID 360 system at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Aug. 27, 2014. This device uses Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and an extensive on-board spectral library to rapidly identify chemicals in unknown solids and liquids base on their distinct molecular fingerprints. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Matthew Lancaster/Released)

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Biomedical Sciences Corps in action

Staff Sgt. Paolo Melaendez, 51st Aerospace Medicine Squadron bioenvironmental technician, helps Tech. Sgt. Shane Polk, 51st AMDS bioenvironmental technician, put on a Level A hazardous material suit at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Aug. 27, 2014. The Level A suit is the highest level hazmat protection suit against vapors, gases, mists and particles. It consists of a fully encapsulating chemical entry suit with a full-face piece self-contained breathing apparatus or a supplied air respirator with an escape cylinder. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Matthew Lancaster/Released)

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Biomedical Sciences Corps in action

Capt. Sarah Hill, 51 Aerospace Medicine Squadron chief of public health operations, checks the internal temperature of chicken at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Aug. 17, 2014. Public health makes sure that food facilities on base are following the proper U.S. food regulations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Matthew Lancaster/Released)

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Biomedical Sciences Corps in action

Maj. Tracy Oumeddour, 51st Medical Support Squadron lab flight commander, looks through a microscope at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Aug. 27, 2014. Oumeddour uses the microscope to identify traces of an infection within blood and urine samples. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Matthew Lancaster/Released)

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Biomedical Sciences Corps in action

Published Aug. 29, 2014
By Senior Airman Matthew Lancaster
51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs

OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- The Biomedical Sciences Corps is a diverse medical corps with 17 different Air Force Specialty Codes leading and supporting the medical service corps mission.

Biomedical Sciences date back to World War I with the formation of the Army Sanitary Corps May 18, 1917. The Army Sanitary Corps was a mixture of scientific and health related fields and was established to fight infectious diseases.

Several scientific specialties in different corps received many changes, including pharmacy to dietetics and industrial hygiene to entomology during the next 30 years. These changes led to the making of the Army Medical Service Corps in 1947 that accommodated both the Army and the newly created Air Force.

The Air Force Medical Service Corps was first created July 1, 1949, with six main corps that is comprised of the Medical Corps, Dental Corps, Nurse Corps, Veterinary Corps, Medical Service Corps and Women's Medical Specialist Corps. On Jan. 28, 1965, Col. Alvin F. Meyer, Jr. had a vision to have a scientific and engineering corps and thus formed the Biomedical Sciences Corps.

The formal establishment of the BSC was on March 15, 1965, where Meyer was appointed as the first BSC Corps chief. The Medical Service Corps and the Medical Specialist Corps went through a transformation that combined all the scientific and technical members.

The BSC will be celebrating their 50th anniversary in the upcoming year.