In tandem: married medics compete at the SETAF-AF Best Medic Competition

VICENZA, Italy- When U.S. Army Sgt. Caleb Flynn worked at Womack Army Medical Center in North Carolina, he treated many Soldiers in the aftermath of Airborne School - broken limbs, concussions and landings gone wrong. He swore he would never jump out of an airplane.

His wife, Sgt. Kaitlin Flynn, had an entirely different experience. As a jumpmaster and medic with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, she watched hundreds of Soldiers land safely. When Caleb's turn came, it was Kaitlin who talked him through the fear.

Two years later, the couple saw their roles reversed.

This time, Caleb, a medic assigned to U.S. Army Health Clinic Vicenza, was the one encouraging Kaitlin as they competed against one another in the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) Best Medic Competition.

"I wasn't going to do this competition at all," Kaitlin said.

Although Kaitlin has experience as a medic in elite, rapid-deployment airborne infantry units such as the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 82nd Airborne Division, she hesitated to compete because of the breadth of the competition.

"But he pushed me to go for it," Kaitlin said.

The SETAF-AF Best Medic Competition brought together 24 military medical professionals from Ghana, Liberia, Italy and the United States at Caserma Del Din in Vicenza from Jan. 5 to 15. Beginning with a weeklong train-up focused on medical knowledge exchange, the event culminated in a grueling two-day competition that tested physical and mental endurance, Soldier skills and combat medical proficiency.

Unlike most competitors, the Flynns entered the competition having already trained together. They revised, studied and talked through scenarios long before the first event began.

"As a medic who's worked in both clinics and hospitals, I've been able to share how patient care is managed from beginning to end," Caleb said.

Kaitlin, whose experience is rooted in field and trauma care, brought a different perspective to their preparation, helping Caleb think through scenarios less familiar in a clinical setting.

"At home, we've been able to talk through lanes together and help fill in gaps in our knowledge," Kaitlin said.

The canine casualty care lane, however, was unfamiliar territory for both of them. Neither had worked with military working dogs before, but their French bulldog became an unlikely assistant during late-night preparation.

"We were jokingly practicing things like identifying veins or talking through airway management," Kaitlin said.

When the competition concluded, both walked away with results that reflected their preparation. Caleb earned the title of Best Shooter, while Kaitlin placed second overall alongside her teammate, Spc. Jean Sagasse Jr.

After their overseas tour in Italy, the Flynns plan to return to a stateside duty station and continue their service as medics.

What remains constant is not the assignment, but the quiet way they steady each other - a partnership that once carried one of them out of an airplane and later through a competition they faced together.

About SETAF-AF

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.

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