ORANGE WALK DISTRICT, Belize –
Three 940th Aerospace Medicine Squadron Reservists from Beale Air Force Base, Calif., are among more than 42 Air Force medical professionals currently deployed with the 459th Expeditionary Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Joint Base Andrews, Md., to the developing Central American country of Belize.
Major Vincent Chiappone, Major Michael Dailey and Staff Sgt. Karie Covey are part of a team of physicians, critical care technicians and other medical specialists who arrived in Belize, March 26, aboard a C-17 Globemaster III in support of the 2011 Medical Readiness Training Exercise.
The MEDRETE is organized annually by the U.S. Air Force Southern Command, headquartered at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., and the Air Force Reserve Command International Health Service, headquartered at Robins Air Force Base, Ga.
The exercise is designed to bring humanitarian assistance and free medical care to a host country's citizens. It stresses the concept of helping others while practicing military skills in a joint partnership with the host nation and medical units from other U.S. Air Force bases.
The MEDRETE concept enhances global relationships by providing citizens of the host country with access to military health care experts who are trained in different languages and have an understanding of various cultures around the world. In most cases, the MEDRETE provides medical care to a population that may not have ever received professional health treatment.
Another benefit of the joint exercise is the training that Reserve Airmen receive in a real-world setting.
"We had seen more than 1300 patients just into our third day in Belize," said Maj. Leonard Richardson, a flight surgeon with the 459 AMDS. Leonard said that he and fellow Airmen had provided care for cases of respiratory diseases, headaches, infections and numerous cases of asthma.
Eye, dental and other forms of health care have also been provided by the medical team in Belize. So far, 232 pairs of glasses have been distributed by optometrists and 159 teeth have been pulled by dentists. Local food and hygiene practices were also reviewed by the medical staff to help districts establish preventative health measures.
"Preparing for this type of high-volume patient care takes countless man-hours and months of preparation," said Col. Michele Williams, 459 EAMDS deployed commander and commander of the 459 AMDS at Joint Base Andrews.
"The services provided and satisfaction received (by providing these services) in less fortunate areas of the world like this is immeasurable," she said.
In order to begin providing medical care to the Belize population, the Reserve Airmen had to establish clinics in various villages once they arrived. Sometimes, even getting to the villages was challenging. Often the servicemembers had to traverse unpaved roads.
To help the Air Force units travel around the country establishing clinics, the Belizean government stepped in.
"We had support from local medical personnel through the Belize Ministry of Health, as well as Belizean military personnel, coordinated through the U.S. Embassy," said Tech. Sgt. Patricia Moynihan, 459 AMDS.
"The Belizean Ministry of Education also graciously allowed us to use their schools as makeshift clinics, suspending classes for the time we were there," Moynihan said.
Capt. Erik Baldwin, 459 AMDS lead mission planner for the MEDRETE, said the experience has been beneficial for both the people of Belize and the medical Airmen.
"This MEDRETE was a new opportunity for many and a chance to see how we can assist with medical care in an underprivileged part of the country," Baldwin said. "Regardless of skill level, all team members are having a very valuable and rewarding experience through this firsthand encounter with a developing nation's health care needs."