Airmen go 'Beyond the Horizon' to help Jamaicans

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jordan Jones
  • 162nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TUCSON, Ariz. (AFNS) --  More than 3,700 Jamaicans were given free medical, eye and dental care April 11 through 26 when 35 Airmen participated in a U.S. Southern Command humanitarian assistance exercise called Beyond the Horizon.

The Air National Guard Airmen from Arizona's 162nd Fighter Wing treated Jamaicans as they arrived before the crack of dawn while some camped nearby waiting to be the first in line when the doors opened for much-needed health care.

The Air Guard medical staff ventured to no-frill, make-shift clinics throughout the island to help those less fortunate. They split their time between three different sites: Albion Primary and Junior High, Retrieve All Age School, and Lottery All Age School. All locations were without many of the conveniences of modern technology.

The care provided ranged from simple check ups to diagnosing severe medical problems, pulling teeth and dispensing eye wear to people who otherwise would be legally blind.

State-run health care and medication in Jamaica are free; however, patients must often wait two to three months to get an appointment, and prescriptions are not always available.

"We saw several blind patients," said Lt. Col. (Dr.) John Murphy, an optometrist. "Some were blind from lack of glasses; that's how bad their vision was."

"We took 4,000 pairs of glasses with us donated by the Lions Club," said Col. Michael Mangen, the operation commander. "Members from the med group here went through them before we deployed, putting each pair on a reader (machine) so we knew what strength they were."

"The Jamaicans who received glasses had big smiles on their faces," Colonel Murphy said. There were instances where patients walked promptly out the front door with their glasses and a smile just to show everybody waiting outside. There were several times when the crowd applauded loudly because they knew the person was blind without them."

When comparing the cost of glasses to their minimum wage -- $40 per week -- it's easy to understand their exuberance.

A pair of glasses cost them the equivalent of $200 in the U.S., Colonel Murphy said. "That's five weeks of wages that you can't pay for your housing or for your food."

While there, U.S. servicemembers were protected by the Jamaican defense forces as part of the partnership agreement.

"They have open air Jeeps and they all carry M-16s," Colonel Mangen said. "We always had a Jeep in front and one in back; the guys inside were locked and loaded."

"In order to keep us from having to sit in traffic, they did what I call 'splitting the red sea.' They just went right down the middle of both lanes and drove straight through the whole city," said Master Sgt. James Mulcahey, force protection leader from the wing's security forces squadron. "That way we weren't in jeopardy by sitting in traffic. They did a good job. We felt safe."

While the health care was free to the Jamaican people, it was not without reward for the Guard members who went.

"The farmers came in and let us sample some of the local coconut, pineapple and sugarcane," Colonel Mangen said. "It was like back in the old days when you saw the doctor and you brought him two chickens to pay for it."

Colonel Murphy recalled the first legally blind patient to receive glasses returned the next day to give him a hug. 

"That was the best part; to know we were doing some good there," he said. "This is a partnership. It's a way to show the world that the U.S. military does more than project force."

U.S. Southern Command launched Beyond the Horizon in 2008 as a new concept born from the 1980s "New Horizon" initiative. The exercise is scheduled to last several months with servicemembers from all branches of the Guard and Reserve deploying for short periods to Columbia, Dominican Republic and Jamaica this year. Nearly 350 servicemembers will participate at any one time.

The purpose of Beyond the Horizon exercises are to train U.S. servicemembers to carefully plan and conduct logistical operations to support deployments to remote regions, thus providing unparalleled training that cannot be simulated in the United States.

While in country, servicemembers provide humanitarian and civic assistance which include medical and dental services as well as construction and renovation of schools, medical clinics, community centers, water wells and roads. Veterinarian care is also provided help prevent diseases that could be passed from animals and livestock to a population.

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