USFHP Member Minutes Profile

U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Michael Tedford

After a 30-year active-duty career in the U.S. Air Force — including eight years as communications chief on Air Force One — Chief Master Sergeant Michael Tedford has enjoyed nearly a decade of retirement with his wife, Katrina, and their children.

Chief Master Sgt. Michael Tedford served in the U.S. Air Force for 30 years, including 22 years at Joint Base Andrews and eight years in the cockpit of Air Force One.

Chief Master Sgt. Michael Tedford served 30 years in the U.S. Air Force, including 22 years at Joint Base Andrews and eight years aboard Air Force One. He is pictured above with former President George W. Bush and at bottom with former President Bill Clinton and crewmates.

Retirement has been “very smooth,” Tedford says, as a result of the reliable and convenient access to quality healthcare he and his wife receive through the Johns Hopkins US Family Health Plan.

“My wife and I have been enrolled in the Plan for nine years,” Tedford says. “The US Family Health Plan has been a phenomenal success, and once we got into it and saw how good it was, we’ve been nothing but big proponents.”

Chief Tedford touts the US Family Health Plan’s convenience of access, a necessity due to a daily commute from his home in Maryland to downtown Washington, D.C., and his and Katrina’s primary care and surgical needs.

“Especially as my wife and I get older, I think it’s going to be significant to our health, because if we didn’t have the Plan available I think our health would suffer as far as the quality and the access. Access is everything,” Tedford says.

The Tedfords are among nearly 150,000 US Family Health Plan members nationwide to enjoy access to quality healthcare with top-rated patient satisfaction through six regional TRICARE Prime provider organizations. To learn more about the US Family Health Plan, watch the interview above or explore the rest of our website.