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Team provides medical care in Dominican Republic

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Chance C. Babin
  • Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs
PUERTA PLATA, Dominican Republic --  A team of 39 medical specialists from the Air Force Reserve arrived here May 24 as part of MEDRETE 2010 Dominican Republic.

During their two weeks of training on the island, the Air Force reservists will provide free medical care to the local population at four locations in the Puerto Plata region. They arrived in country on a C-5 Galaxy flown by reservists from Air Force Reserve Command's 433rd Airlift Wing, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas.

A military band and Dominican officials greeted them on their first stop at Puerto Plata Air Force Base before they began seeing patients. Physicians from the Dominican Republic are working with the Americans.

"The reception has been phenomenal," said Col. Lynn McDaniels, MEDRETE team chief and commander of the 927th Aeromedical Staging Squadron from MacDill AFB, Fla. "The Dominicans have been very supportive and interested in working with us and have helped with all of our needs."

Dominican Air Force Col. Miguel Lagrange, the Dominican medical team director, sees the MEDRETE mission as a win-win for his team.

"We are very happy having you here helping us," Colonel Lagrange said. "It is very important to have a mission like this. It is good experience to get in contact with other doctors from other cultures, and we are going to take advantage of that contact."

In addition to providing general medicine, dentistry and optometry, the team has specialists in dermatology, pediatrics and gynecology. Eyeglasses and medicine are also being provided.

One of the physicians working in pediatrics feels very connected to this mission. Maj. (Dr.) Leonie Hanley of the 927th ASTS is from the Caribbean island of Saint Croix.

"It's a good opportunity for the Air Force to be seen not only as a show for force but as being able to provide humanitarian care to various nations that are in need," Major Hanley said. "In the Caribbean, we are not as fortunate as some of our mainland counterparts, so it's good to be able to come down and partake in this."

The MEDRETE is part of the International Healthcare Specialist mission.

Colonel McDaniels expects to see about 1,000 patients a day during the mission that concludes June 5. (Air Force Reserve Command News Service)