Medic named RTI Instructor of Year

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. — For Staff Sgt. Destiny Flores, being a combat medic is more than a military occupation. It is a responsibility to the Soldiers around her.

That commitment helped Flores earn recognition as the 166th Regiment – Regional Training Institute’s Fiscal Year 2026 Instructor of the Year.

A combat medic instructor with the Regiment’s medical battalion, Flores has consistently been selected as Instructor of the Cycle by students throughout the battalion’s recent courses. Her approach to instruction combines high standards and energy with an emphasis on understanding the individual Soldier behind the uniform.

“I think it’s a privilege to be a Soldier and it’s a privilege to be a medic,” Flores said. “Making sure our brothers and sisters in arms are cared for to the highest standard and treated to the best of our ability. I want myself and my students to be able to provide that.”

For Flores, effective instruction begins with understanding how each Soldier learns.

“I can give students all the guidance they could want and tell them to do things a certain way, but if I don’t also take the time to understand their thought process and understanding of the course material, I don’t know how they will learn best and actually retain what I’m teaching,” she said. “So, I try to meet them where they’re at.”

That approach becomes particularly important during field training, where students must apply medical skills in stressful and chaotic scenarios—and where Flores can see how they respond under pressure.

Flores said she deliberately creates stressful training environments to prepare students for the realities of being a combat medic. But when a Soldier becomes overwhelmed, she adjusts her approach.

“I lower the volume of my voice, make eye contact with the Soldier, and tell them, ‘Hey, you can do this. You’ve done it before,’ or, ‘Let’s take it step by step. What do we do first?’”

Each class of combat medic trainees votes on an Instructor of the Cycle prior to graduation, recognizing the instructor who made the greatest positive impact on their training and overall experience.

Flores said the recognition is particularly meaningful because it comes from Soldiers representing different ranks, backgrounds, states and units.

“They like the motivation,” Flores said. “I try to bring high energy every day. It’s not easy. It’s quite taxing, but they’re my priority. I put them first.”

Flores maintains a constant presence around her students, arriving early, staying late and making herself available outside the classroom.

“I’ll be there every day, and I’m going to give them all I have, and I ask the same in return,” she said.

That dedication also requires instructors to continually adapt, Flores said. Medical practices, medications and procedures evolve, while combat medics must be prepared to operate in increasingly complex environments, including situations requiring prolonged field care.

Ultimately, Flores hopes her students leave the course with a foundation they can build upon throughout their careers.

“I hope my students remember to breathe,” Flores said.

For Flores, taking a breath is more than a simple instruction. In the chaos of a medical emergency, that brief pause can help a medic regain focus and fall back on their training.

Flores measures her success as an instructor by what her students become after they leave her classroom.

“I hope they’re better medics than I ever was, am, or ever will be,” she said. “If your students never surpass you, then you didn’t give them enough.”

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