Jumping into mental health

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Lauren-Taylor Levin
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  All Airmen have a story explaining why they decided to join the Air Force, whether it was to further their education, start new adventures in a different country, or some other reason. 

For U.S. Air Force Capt. Steve Ramos, the 354th Medical Operations Squadron mental health element chief and suicide prevention program manager, it was an escape from his environment and to be afforded more opportunities.

"I had a rough background; there were lots of poverty, drugs and violence in the area I grew up in," said Ramos. "I remember my dad sitting down with me one day and said I had to do something with my life to better myself."

Ramos sought out a recruiter and was enlisted in August 1993, leaving for basic training shortly after not knowing what his future would hold. 

"Throughout training I didn't know what my job was going to be and for the longest time I thought I was going to be security forces," said Ramos. "On my last day I found out I was going to be work as an aerospace physiology technician."

As a physiology technician, Ramos' job consisted of training service members on the effects high-altitude has on the body. Part of his job involved taking them in a high-altitude chamber and removing their oxygen masks at a certain point to help the Airmen recognize oxygen deprivation.

Ramos explained that this process helps Airmen who are flying in an aircraft to recognize when the aircraft becomes unpressurized or loses pressurization and how to correct their oxygen deprivation.

As time went by, Ramos became an aerospace physiology instructor at Beale AFB, California, where he went on various temporary duty locations until he had an opportunity to go to Langley AFB, Virginia, for a special duty assignment as a high-altitude air drop mission support technician.

"During this assignment I began to become familiar with special operation environments, which lead me to the opportunity of participating in airborne school at Fort Benning, Georgia, and the military free-fall jump master course," he said.
Throughout Ramos' enlisted years he gained interest in mental health and how to help others in the Air Force overcome their challenges.

"When I received my Bachelor's degree in human services management I was actually working as part of the cadre of the Air Force parachute team at the Air Force Academy, which I was a part of for six years," Ramos explained.

After leaving the Air Force Academy Ramos had more than 2,000 jumps including a jump during a Monday night football game.

Ramos was commissioned March 22, 2011, and began his one-year residency at Eglin AFB, Florida, where he learned how to assess, diagnose and treat individuals with mental health disorders.

"I think being in the Air Force as prior enlisted for 18 years has really helped me become a great provider because I'm able to relate to that single Airman in the dorms," said Ramos "I can relate to that kind of lifestyle or work issues that Airman may have." 

Ramos said when the time comes to retire from the Air Force he will continue to further his mental health career by helping people who deal with combat stress or post-traumatic stress disorder.

"It's definitely important to me because I've seen people go without treatment and try to manage the symptoms of post-traumatic stress on their own, and the outcome is not always great," said Ramos.