U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Megan McCarthy, a Brentwood native, was in Hayneville, Alabama for a two-week deployment this month for an Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) mission. Above, McCarthy, a medical service technician with the 673d Medical Group in Alaska, checks a patient’s heart rate. The IRT program provides real-world training opportunities for military members and much-needed care to underserved communities in the United States. The mission in Hayneville offered an array of medical, dental and mental health services plus a helping hand on several civil engineering and public works projects. McCarthy worked in the patient screening/triage section. The patients were weighed and measured, had their blood-sugar tested, and vitals taken. A total of 1,152 patients were screened during the eight-day clinic.