Eglin NCO supports Continuing Promise

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Brian Jones
  • 96th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Tech. Sgt. Eric Gaona typically spends his on-duty time roaming the 33d Fighter Wing's flightline ensuring the wing's F-15 Eagles are mission ready as a member of the maintenance quality assurance team. However, the bi-lingual Airmen recently put his mechanical expertise aside and volunteered to support Operation Continuing Promise aboard the USS Boxer in South America.

This first phase of Operation Continuing Promise provided health care and other relief services to Guatemala, El Salvador and Peru from April 27 through June 26. Sergeant Gaona was one of ten Airmen deployed as Spanish language translators supporting medical, optical and dental activities.

"I happened to see a listing requesting volunteers for a humanitarian mission throughout the Air Force, so I spoke to my mobility NCO and volunteered," said Sergeant Gaona.

Adjusting to life outside of maintenance wasn't the only change Sergeant Gaona had to overcome during his time on the Boxer.

"Being on a ship was a whole different world. It opened my eyes to how our sister services operate ... living and working in the same place is not an easy task, especially when space and supplies are limited," said the sergeant. "Even being deployed to the desert doesn't compare to ship life ... it was great experience that not every Air Force member will experience."

One of the first challenges encountered by the Air Force interpreter team was having more work than they had people.

"We needed over 20 translators per day and we only had ten," said Master Sgt. David Batiz, Air Force Interpreter Team NCO in charge, who was deployed from Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. "We canvassed the crew for Spanish speakers (to augment the Air Force interpreter team). That's where Sergeant Gaona shined."

Sergeant Gaona assembled 53 interpreter augmentees from across the ship--the next challenge was working a schedule to incorporate the ship's volunteers.

"He worked with the ship's senior leadership to head off problems with duty scheduling conflicts before they became an issue," said Sergeant Batiz. "He was the duty translator with the additional task of building the manifest (schedule). He certainly showed his leadership."

In addition to recruiting and scheduling interpreters, Sergeant Gaona was tasked with translating documents, visual aids and questionnaires used in patient processing and education. Additionally, he would leave the vessel to go to site locations in Guatemala, El Salvador and Peru to serve as a translator for medical providers.

"Having the ability to speak two different languages has been very rewarding throughout my career," said Sergeant Gaona. " ... if you have a special skill or ability, don't let it go to waste."

During the 28-day deployment, 33d FW Nomad translated more than 200 prescription drug instructions. The translator team bridged the language gap between patients and medical providers, enabling care for 24,089 people in the three Central American countries. Moreover, the translators paved the way for in excess of 14,000 dental procedures.

"The feeling you get when someone in tears thanks you for helping them overcome their pain and suffering, when no one else could, and tell you that Americans are true heroes ... that's the biggest reward," Said Sergeant Gaona. "Nothing can top that feeling."