USAFE Airmen support Med Flag 2006 in Ghana

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Pamela Anderson
  • 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
More than 50 Airmen from United States Air Forces in Europe arrived in Tamale, Ghana, Sept. 9 to participate in a humanitarian exercise called Med Flag 2006.

The group, composed of medical, support and security Airmen from Spangdahlem, Ramstein and Sembach Air Bases in Germany, will spend four days treating patients from the West African city and surrounding rural areas.

The American military medics will work with their Ghanaian military counterparts during the exercise.

"The objective is to treat as many people as possible in the short time frame and to work side by side with the Ghanaian doctors and learn about regional diseases," said Col. Timothy Vining, chief of USAFE exercises.

"When the people line up, we will give the second group of about 200 passes that will move them to the front of the line the following day," he said. "This will give people an idea about whether or not they will be seen by a doctor so they're not waiting in line all day for nothing."

This is not the first time the U.S. government has arranged for military personnel to offer aid to African citizens.

"(The Ghanaian people) appreciate the support extended to them," said the Honorable Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, Northern Regional Minister. "This is a significant deed from America and it registers effectively in the minds of the people in the region."

Though the goal of Med Flag is to help those who don't have access to standard health care, some of the caregivers feel they will get something from this experience, too.

"I'm looking forward to the opportunity to share common experiences with our Ghanaian counterparts and learn about their own unique approaches to medicine," said Maj. Kevin Bohnsack, a flight surgeon from Spangdahlem AB.