Photo By Sgt. Marshall Thompson | Capt. Stefan Kochis, an optometrist with Task Force 61st, performs an eye exams on a...... read more read more
LSA ANACONDA, Iraq-The optometrists and technicians of Logistical Support Area Anaconda's Task Force 61st are helping servicemembers, civilians, and Iraqis see more clearly.
Still, their commitment doesn't end with the boundaries of the LSA. This optometric team, one of three in theater, visits nearly 20 different forward operating bases to ensure that everyone has access to quality eye care.
"My favorite part of the job is traveling to other bases," said Spc. Charlotte Kelly, an optometry technician with TF 61st. "I like it because we can go to other bases more easily than having 300 people come to us."
Capt. Christian Olson, chief of the optometry section from TF 61st, said that they treat hundreds of people at the different bases they visit. He said not only is it easier, but its much safer as well to have a small optometry team travel to the bases instead of having hundreds of Soldiers from southern and western Iraq travel to LSA Anaconda.
Besides traveling, the team also provides eye exams during regular sick call hours and 24-hour emergency medical treatment for eye injuries. The team keeps busy performing 30 to 40 eye exams and seeing about eight patients a week, said Capt. Stefan Kochis, and optometrist with TF 61st.
If a Soldier needs a new prescription, or glasses for the first time, he can go to the optometry section on a walk-in basis and have his eyes tested. If he needs glasses, the team can have the glasses made and mail them to him in about a week. Olson said that's usually faster than they can do in the United States.
"Also," Olsen added, "we're really glad that we can offer something else besides the brown glasses " you know, the birth control glasses."
Soldiers can chose from a variety of different frames and styles. Contact lenses, on the other hand, are not available. In fact, Olson said it is against Army regulation and Multi-National Coalition Iraq policy to have contact lenses in theater.
"In this austere environment, it's much more likely that you will get an infection, and when you do, it will be more severe," Olson said about people who wear contact lenses.
He said that a few people have even needed to be medically evacuated to Germany and were in danger of losing their eye sight because of severe infections involved with wearing contact lenses in a field environment.
The good news, Olson said, is that there has been a drop in the amount of infections they've seen in Soldiers. He also said that more people are wearing their ballistic eye protection which saves eyes, and also saves lives.
Everyone on the team said they enjoy helping their fellow Soldiers to see better. Spc. Allan Tabliago, an optometry technician from TF 61st, said that it's especially important for Soldiers to see clearly in a dangerous environment like Iraq.
"I like giving the glasses to the people and seeing their reactions," Tabliago said, "especially the ones who never had glasses before. They're going out on missions and they need to see."
| Date Taken: | 05.05.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 05.05.2006 04:17 |
| Story ID: | 6285 |
| Location: | BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 688 |
| Downloads: | 388 |
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