March ARB members go to Panama

The members of the 452nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron will conduct a similiar mission to this one held in Peru. Maj. Brent Dupper, a dentist from March Air Reserve Base, Calif., performs a dental examination ?on a Peruvian man, June 30, 2008 during a medical mission in Chiara, Peru. Air Force medical ?personnel cared for more than 4,000 Peruvians over nine days during the first set of medical ?missions in support of New Horizons - Peru 2008, a U.S. and Peruvian humanitarian mission that ?will bring relief to underprivileged Peruvians. (U.S. Air Force Photo by 1st Lt. Mary Pekas)

March reservists 'pulling' duty in Panama

Published Jan. 21, 2009
By Will Alexander
452 AMW Public Affairs

MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. -- Thirty-five members of the 452nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron deployed to Chitre, Panama, Jan. 10, to conduct a humanitarian mission as part of its medical readiness training exercise.

The squadron deployed doctors, dentists, optometrists and pharmacists, according to Senior Master Sgt. Theresa Smith, 452 MDS, who went on the squadron's previous mission to the Dominican Republic in 2006.

"Typically, we end up pulling a lot of teeth," she said. "You have people sometimes who will walk for days to get medical help. Usually, by the time we get to a village, they're already lined up waiting for us when we get there.

"We will also try to give them some personal hygiene tips," she said. "The cleaner they are, the healthier they are."

On the Dominican Republic mission, Master Sgt. Smith said the squadron saw 7,000 people in two weeks.

"It's a lot of work, but it's fun and very rewarding," she said, "especially for some of the younger troops. Some of them are not always so keen on going because the conditions are not the best, but it's really funny how once you're there they switch to, 'Oh, I'm so glad I came. I had a great time and it was so nice.' So, it's a real rewarding thing to do."