Photo By Tech. Sgt. Michelle Ulber | Staff Sgt. Nicholas Joseph, 108th Air Refueling Wing materiel management specialist,...... read more read more
The wheels of a grey Jeep Wrangler thunder down a rainy highway. In it are two Airmen whose job it is to bring much-needed medical supplies to a community clinic. Down the highway going the opposite way, there is another grey Jeep carrying more logistics readiness Airmen.
“There’s times when we can barely get through the roads here,” said Senior Airman Hildebrando Duarte from the 108th Air Refueling Wing at McGuire Air Force Base. “There’s times when other drivers are just not looking and there’s a lot of blind spots so we just have to be careful and vigilant when driving.”
Despite precarious driving conditions the medical supplies must get to where they need to go, intact and on time. Without the needed supplies, Innovative Readiness Training Ola de Esperanza Sanadora would not be able to function.
The main purpose of IRT is to provide medical, dental and optometry care to the people of Puerto Rico.
IRT Ola de Esperanza Sanadora involves more than 200 Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen from the Air National Guard, U.S. Navy Reserve, and active duty Army and Navy. Part of a long-running Defense Department initiative led by the Air National Guard, this mission is operating in four clinic locations in Cataño, Guaynabo, Humacao and Yabucoa from Aug. 31 to Sept. 7.
“Many people do not have medical insurance here,” said Duarte. “A lot of people here cannot afford health insurance, especially after the hurricane. What we are providing them is a no-charge health care, so it’s great for the community.”
Since the health care is at no cost to the community, there are many patients coming to the IRT’s four care sites. With so many people seeking care, there is a big need for medical supplies which are stored miles away from some of the sites.
“We transport anything from huge dental equipment to eyeglasses to medicine,” said Staff Sgt. Jonathan Scrobe from the 108th ARW. “We’re here to support the people who provide the care. We make sure they have what they need to do that.”
These Airmen are used to providing transportation services. It is part of their jobs and some of them have served more than 14 years doing it.
“We have the main packing hub for the IRT package at our base,” said Duarte. “That’s how we get the opportunity to come on these trips and help out.”
Many of them do it for the fulfillment and the enjoyment of just being able to help people.
“I like the mission. It’s fulfilling,” said Staff Sgt. Nicholas Joseph from the 108th ARW. “I enjoy talking to people behind the scenes. We’re making things happen.”
No matter the circumstances, they make things happen by working well together and focusing on the mission.
“We are strangers put into a different location together and we figure it out and work to become a great team,” said Nicholas. “It’s the one central mission that brings us together.”
When their mission is over and the last day of care has been given at the medical sites the logistics team will pack up 30,000 pounds of equipment and ship it back to McGuire AFB.
It’s a big job for anyone to do but these Airmen are more than capable.
| Date Taken: | 09.06.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 09.06.2018 11:00 |
| Story ID: | 291589 |
| Location: | GUAYNABO, PR |
| Web Views: | 74 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Despite miles of rough roads, logistics Airmen make it happen, by TSgt Michelle Ulber, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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