Building partnerships: Airmen finish medical training exercise in Central America

Published Sept. 12, 2011
By Senior Airman Meredith Thomas
916th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

MATAGALPA, Nicaragua -- A convoy of vans and buses, led by a security detail of Nicaraguan soldiers, cuts its way down the side of a lush mountain, lumbers along dirt roads crowded with livestock, and trundles through small villages where local families crowd into dwellings constructed of cinder blocks and scraps of tin roofing.

Aboard the vehicles, nearly 50 Air Force Reserve medical professionals, stationed out of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., and several other locations across the United States, attempt to catch a few extra minutes of sleep and prepare for the rigors of the strenuous day ahead.

The half-hour trip winds to a close. Before the temporary treatment facility even comes into view, a long column of patients can be seen lining the roadway. Those at the front of the line have been waiting since 4 a.m. to be seen by the American doctors, nurses and dentists. Some have traveled for hours on horseback to get here. Others have walked countless miles in the August heat with their families in tow.

Now, at a quarter past seven in the morning, the team unloads to begin another treatment day during their Medical Readiness Training Exercise, or MEDRETE.

Just another day at the office
These citizen Airmen will set up shop at three different locations, Sébaco, Las Calabazas and Cuidad Dario -- all located in the region surrounding Matagalpa, Nicaragua. They will transform scruffy school buildings into functioning triage clinics capable of seeing in excess of one thousand patients each day.

"As medical professionals in the U.S. military we not only have a responsibility to patients in our own country but to patients around the world," said Lt. Col. Dawn Moore, mission commander of the MEDRETE from MacDill AFB, Fla. "We are proud to be able to collaborate with other countries and provide excellent medical care."

The purpose of the mission is to foster positive foreign relations by providing humanitarian aid to the citizens of Nicaragua while also giving Airmen the chance to train in a deployed environment and less-than-ideal conditions.

"It's a valuable experience," said Senior Airman Natesha Fields, a medical technician with the 916th Aerospace Medicine Squadron at Seymour-Johnson AFB. "The things we do here are in our AFSCs but we don't always get a chance to practice our skills on real patients back home." Fields helped a medical provider suture a wound on a patient's palm, something she'd only practiced on pig feet during her initial training in the U.S.

In addition to their assigned duties, team volunteers also find themselves performing a surprising amount of manual labor. On a daily basis, the reservists load and unload shipping containers, baggage and large ice chests full of bottled water to support mission requirements.

"On a MEDRETE, you're going to be working your tail off," said Lt. Col. Jerry Hall, Air Force Reserve Command's MEDRETE coordinator. "I don't care what rank you are, you're going to be hauling boxes and getting dirty."

Yet, despite everything, the Airmen remain in high spirits.

And most are more than happy to take payment in the form of handshakes and hugs from grateful patients.

"We've had such a long day," said Senior Airman Jessica Glass, an ophthalmic technician with the 916th AMDS at Seymour-Johnson. "I'm exhausted. But I did get a hug today, which was awesome."

Medicine, glasses, extractions
The MEDRETE team landed in Nicaragua with a huge task ahead of them.
"AFRC set the goal at 1,000 patients per day," said Moore. "At first, I thought that was crazy but as soon as I saw the caliber of this team, I knew we could do more."

And they did. On a couple of days, over 1,200 people presented for medical care. On treatment day nine, the team assisted nearly 1,500 patients at the Cuidad Dario location.
When the dust settled at the end of the mission, the group had provided over 10,000 local citizens with medical care that they might not have otherwise received.

"Most of the services we provide here would be out of reach for many of these people, whether it be due to lack of funds or limited access to physicians," said Lt. Col. Frances McClure, one of three dentists serving on the MEDRETE team from the 916th AMDS. "I think our impact on these communities is pretty great."

During the two-week deployment, the MEDRETE optometrists issued more than 1,700 pairs of prescription eyeglasses while the dental clinic performed almost 950 tooth extractions. The pharmacy, a bustling location at all hours of the work-day, filled nearly 12,500 prescriptions.

To supplement the Reserve team, local medical providers and doctors with the Nicaraguan Army stepped in to provide additional services including vaccinations, gynecological exams, and referrals that would enable patients to follow-up with nearby physicians.

Endless praise, a personal 'thank you'
The exercise, which Robert Downes, the Chargé d' Affairs for the United States Embassy in Nicaragua, called "an excellent operation" ended with a brief period of respite in Nicaragua's capitol city of Managua.

The group was showered with certificates and praise by the mission's leadership and organizers.

"Usually it takes a few days for teams to work out the kinks in patient flow, but you guys did it on the first day and you just kept getting better and better," said Hall. "You did a phenomenal job and I would take any one of you on another MEDRETE."

Lt. Col. Dawn Moore fought back tears as she thanked the team for their dedication.
"I would happily deploy again with each of you," she said. "You have all truly humbled me. I salute you."

Team members were even treated to a surprise visit from Col. Randall Ogden, 916th Air Refueling Wing commander, during an evening meal at an Italian restaurant in nearby Granada. Ogden said he wanted to personally thank those who took time away from their families to volunteer for the mission.

After piloting the KC-135R Stratotanker that transported the Airmen back home to North Carolina, Ogden clasped his hands together and addressed the MEDRETE team.

"Good job everybody," he said. "And, how great it is to show what our country can do for others."