from CENTCOM

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Coalition service members and medical personnel provided medical and dental assistance Sunday to Afghans in Khakeran, Zabol province.

The village medical outreach visit, or VMO, treated 414 people; 242 men, 58 women, and 114 children. Dental teams treated 86 men, nine women and 24 children. They performed 43 tooth extractions.

Veterinarians with the group treated farm animals and distributed enough medication for 2,900 animals. The medicine will help fight against worms, the most common illness for the animals here.

This group of service members included American medical and veterinary personnel, Romanian soldiers and dentists, and a security element of Afghan National Army and Coalition soldiers.

“The people in remote villages have little or no visibility of the efforts of the Afghan government to improve and stabilize their country,” said Capt. Paul Larson, commander Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion 503rd Infantry (Airborne). “So when they see this level of goodwill coming from their own authorities, along with Coalition forces, it leaves a lasting impression; and that impression is nothing but good.”

In Khowst province, Afghan medics and a U.S. medic team conducted VMOs in five separate villages, as well as a refugee camp. During the seven-day mission, which started Aug. 24, they treated 3,832 Afghans, including 2,630 children, and some 1,579 animals.

These VMOs are not only opportunities for Afghan doctors and medics to work with U.S. medics to help Afghan citizens receive medical treatment; they are also opportunities to learn from each other.

“As Afghan doctors, our experience working side-by-side with the Americans helps us to improve our techniques and learn new methods of treatment,” said Dr. Rasool Habibi, an Afghan doctor from Khowst City . “It also helps to calm any fears the residents may have when they can see an Afghan doctor working with the Americans.”
“We find ourselves engaged in a fight in which success is measured by the population’s belief that their local leaders and security forces are strong and committed to protecting and serving them,” said Brig. Gen. James Champion, Combined Joint Task Force-76 Deputy Commanding General. “Conducting these types of village medical operations fosters confidence in the government and further commits the population to supporting their government and its' programs.”