Global Center hosts advancement ceremony

The Davis Global Center and the iEXCEL program teamed with the U.S. Air Force Dec. 3 to host a special event — the promotion of 13-year Air Force service member Victor Kipping from technical sergeant to master sergeant.

Master Sgt. Kipping, who joined C-STARS at UNMC in 2018, was supposed to take part in a group promotion ceremony earlier in the week, but a pending COVID test meant he could not participate. The Offutt Air Force Base medical group leadership team offered to conduct a personal ceremony for Kipping, and Lt. Col. Elizabeth Schnaubelt, MD, reached out to the iEXCEL program leaders to arrange the promotion event.

See more photos from the event.

The ceremony was held in the atrium of the Davis Global Center, with the five-story SONY Infinity Wall displaying a waving American flag and a message of congratulations. Kipping’s family watched remotely, including his mother and father in Panama.

"Master Sergeant is the first rank among senior non-commissioned officers, so that’s a big milestone in his career," Dr. Schnaubelt said.

As the team’s non-commissioned officer in charge, Kipping "has really established himself as a subject-matter expert in public health, particularly in regard to high consequence infectious diseases," Dr. Schnaubelt said. "He has disseminated a lot of what we’ve learned here to the Air Force public health community."

Kipping was the second C-STARS member at UNMC after Dr. Schnaubelt.

The Center for Sustainment of Trauma Readiness Skills (C-STARS) Omaha is a collaboration between UNMC, Nebraska Medicine and the Air Force Research Laboratory's School of Aerospace Medicine. It is the only Department of Defense unit to specialize in training, education and domain expertise to safely care for and transport individuals who have been exposed to or infected with highly hazardous communicable diseases.

Among his duties, Kipping helps administer the C-STARS Principles of Biocontainment Care class offered at the Davis Global Center.

"Thirteen years ago, looking at people holding this rank, I remember thinking it would be nearly impossible to get to this level," Kipping said. "I’m honored and humbled for my induction into the senior non-commissioned officer ranks, but obviously it’s accomplished through the support of your family and the people you work with."

His work with C-STARS "is a unique opportunity, very rewarding," he said. "Working in the infectious diseases arena, working to get at some of these challenges the Air Force and the Department of Defense have in regard to caring for patients with highly hazardous, communicable diseases — it’s been challenging, yet very gratifying."

Col. Christopher Backus, 55th Medical Group commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Adam Page, 55th Medical Group superintendent, attended the ceremony to confer the promotion. Page provided opening remarks and administering the senior non-commissioned officer charge oath.

"People will look to you; you’re the model," Backus told Kipping. "Be your best self."