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20th MDG Airmen return from Haiti deployment with gratitude

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  • By Airman 1st Class Alexandria Mosness
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  The 20th Medical Group members returned from their Haiti humanitarian deployment with one thing in common: appreciation.

Appreciation for simple things like, the medicine Americans have access to, the fresh water that comes out of the tap and the things Americans take for granted daily.

The group of about 20 Airmen had a luncheon July 22 here to relive their memorable experiences and talk about the appreciation they learned about on their two and a half week deployment.

Going into the deployment, the Airmen did not know what to expect.

"I was a little nervous," said Senior Airman Jennifer Sotelo, a medical technician. "We didn't know where we were going to be, and I was a little apprehensive about what we would see."

Although there was a last minute change of venue, the med group Airmen handled the transition with ease and went into the most important part of the mission, caring for patients.

The Shaw medics set up a medical outreach at Saint-Marc, Haiti, about 60 miles north of Port-au-Prince. Actually, they were the first team to arrive in Haiti to support the New Horizons Haiti mission.

The team brought along general health, optometry and dental specialists to help the needs of the Haitians.

And, a common occurrence was this was the first time many of the patients had seen a doctor.

"The people were all very good patients," said Maj. Linda Coates, 20th Dental Squadron clinical flight commander. "But, the fact that many had never been to a dentists helps too. I applied the same care down there as I would back at the home station."

With so many of the patients who had never been to a dentist, Major Coates saw huge cavities, and broken down teeth, she said. During her time in Haiti, she mainly did extractions of teeth and saw about 25 to 35 patients a day.

The Shaw team saw about 5,600 patients and filled about 11,000 prescriptions during the short period.

Though the numbers of patients seen were outstanding and a lot of hard work was put in, the memories were the most cherished. "One patient told me they were going to do a prayer for Shaw Airmen to come back every year," Major Coates added. "It was nice to hear."

Another Airman agreed with the description of the busy days, but said the hard work could not take away from the lessons learned.

"I dealt with children with congenital disorders, malnutrition and the everyday stuff of sore throats," said Capt. Erin Winkler, a pediatrician.

"We take so much for granted, just the simple stuff we would never think about," she added.

Airman Sotello was quick to reiterate the same thought.

"The Haitians were so appreciative for something as simple as (a pain reliever) Motrin," she said. "They would stand out in the heat for eight to 10 hours to get something as small as Motrin."

The medical group did not just give out Motrin, but also glasses, a rarity for the Haitians.

"There were two incidents where patients came in and could not see their hand if they waved it in front of their face," said optometrist Maj. Gary Poland. "We gave them glasses, and they could see for the first time. It was amazing to see that. I was astonished that these patients could even walk into the clinic without glasses."

"It was very fulfilling and the best to help this country that already was poor before the earthquake and now needs more help than ever," he added.

The 20th MDG Airmen were the first team into Haiti for the New Horizons mission and contributed a lot of hard work that did not go unnoticed.

"You had a hand in saving their lives," said Lt. Col. Rick Mello, 20th Medical Support Squadron commander while talking to his team.

"The people of Haiti will always think about what you did and will think positive about the U.S. military. Heck, if you say you are from Shaw AFB, you could probably run for mayor," he joked

The Air Force will continue to support the needs of the Haitians with about 650 Airmen from 10 different bases supporting the New Horizons Haiti mission operation during the next couple of months.

"The earthquake was a devastating, terrible event," Captain Winkler said. "But, this type of mission can and will contribute positively."