News Search

ArticleS

First-term Airmen broaden skills in Dominican Republic

  • Published
  • By Capt. Ben Sakrisson
  • Air University Public Affairs
ARENOSO, Dom. Rep. --  Airmen on a Medical Readiness Training Exercise in Arenso, Dominican Republic, are stepping out of their traditional home-station roles and enhancing their existing skill-sets by training in medical competencies they do not have the opportunity to experience back home. 

The Airmen face tough, sweaty, long hours of confusion, constant rehydration and sporadic meal breaks spent searching for patients with conditions requiring immediate care among those who inflate their medical concerns to gain entrance to the hottest attraction in town. 

"I had heard about humanitarian missions, but I had no idea that they helped this many people and took this much work," said Senior Airman Carmen G. Stewart, 42nd Medical Group public health technician from Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. 

Each day is distinguished by piercing moments of lucidity that remind the medics why they volunteer for these missions; from a young girl breaking down in tears of happiness after she learns that spots on her skin are not fatal, to new eyeglasses bringing a smile on an old man's face as he reads for the first time in years. 

"It is a great experience helping people that actually need to be helped," said Senior Airman Eric L. Ivie, 42nd MDG dental technician. "People here really appreciate the services that we deliver." 

In return for delivering a memorable experience to Airmen the Air Force gains a service member who is accustomed to a rigorous deployed work schedule and is trained and flexible enough to backfill gaps in other specialties beyond their core career field knowledge. 

Airman 1st Class Tania N. Dimas, 42nd MDG patient administrator, primarily worked as a translator but also took advantage of the opportunity to assist in other areas as well. 

"I worked in the pharmacy, I had never done that before, it was cool," she said. "I learned the names of a whole bunch of medications." 

"I want to be a doctor, and doing the stuff here with the doctors reconfirmed how much I want to become a physician," said Senior Airman Antonieta M. Jara, 12th MDG public health technician from Randolph AFB, Texas. 

There is a steep learning curve, even for experienced personnel, as each site presents unique challenges from site layout to patient flow and keeping the crowd under control. Compounding the issue, the time available to refine a workable process at each site was extremely limited as the medical team moved from one site to the next every three workdays. 

It quickly began to feel like Groundhog Day; wake up, eat breakfast, ride an hour on the bus, treat a thousand patients for endless hours, jump back on the bus and repeat, repeat, repeat ... adapt, adapt, adapt. 

For Airman Stewart this mission has special significance as she was promoted to Senior Airman on April 25. 

"Everyone else just promotes," she said. "I get to do it in the Dominican Republic." 

The team of 45 medics and support personnel treated 8,600 patients during the first eight days of medical operations in the northern region of the Dominican Republic as part of the U.S. Southern Command sponsored Beyond the Horizon 2009 - Caribbean. The mission concludes May 2.