Airmen provide medical care in Nicaragua

Published Aug. 11, 2011
By Senior Airman Meredith Thomas
916th Public Affairs Office

MATAGALPA, Nicaragua -- After months of preparation and coordination with the embassy and local authorities here, about 50 U.S. Airmen put boots on Nicaraguan soil Aug. 6 to take part in a medical readiness exercise.

Known as a MEDRETE, the exercise was organized and staffed primarily by reservists from the 916th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. The purpose of the exercise is to bring humanitarian medical aid to local citizens and to foster positive relations between the United States and Nicaragua while providing hands-on medical training for the Airmen.

After arriving in country, the doctors, dentists, nurses and medical technicians made light work of unloading baggage and supplies. They spent most of the second day inspecting the contents of several shipping containers to ensure they had all the necessary items needed to treat patients.

"That's what today was all about," said Senior Master Sgt. Timothy Moreland, unit planner for the MEDRETE. "We're double-checking our supplies and medications and making sure we're prepared for our first treatment day."

The group will see patients over a10-day period at three different locations in the region around Matagalpa. They anticipate seeing about 1,000 patients per day.

"I'm really excited to see how everything unfolds tomorrow," said Lt. Col. Dawn Moore, mission commander of the Nicaragua MEDRETE. "There's been so much hard work put in and preparation done by the staff of the 916th. Now we're looking forward to 'getting our buckets filled,' as I say, through the gratitude of the Nicaraguan people. I see us doing incredible things on this mission."