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CAIRO, Ill. (July 19, 2019) — Military medical personnel from across the Air Force, Navy, Air National Guard, Air Reserve, and Navy Reserve are providing no-cost health care to Cairo, Ill., and the surrounding community, during the Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation Tri-State Innovative Readiness Training 2019 mission. The health clinics serve as hands-on training for the medical teams to receive real-world experience while also providing for the local community members.
While the primary role of the DAEOC Tri-State IRT 2019 is training and medicine, the operation wouldn’t be possible without the hard work and dedication of the Airmen and Sailors that make up the IRT services flight.
“We came out on advanced echelon and made sure all the rooms were set up, we had enough cots for people to sleep on, and to make sure we have enough food,” said Air National Guard Senior Airman Jody Parrott, the Cairo site IRT kitchen team lead, assigned to the 181st Force Support Squadron, Terre Haute, Ind.
The services personnel are responsible for many aspects of a mission including kitchen work, recreation, and lodging, but the Airmen and Sailors doing services on IRT manage to find time to continue their own training as well.
“As a reservist, my base doesn’t have a galley so I don’t get to cook, but here I can actually do something in my rate and get some [training] done,” said Navy Reserve Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Matthew Oberg, assigned to the Expeditionary Medical Facility Great Lakes.
Parrott said it’s a 5 a.m. start to the day for him and his team between preparing, cooking, and setting out breakfast, along with the clean up of the facilities and kitchen area, only to start it all again for lunch and dinner.
“If the [providers] are well fed and happy, then the patients they see will be happy all day,” said Parrott .
The role of services is a daily necessity that ensures missions like the DAEOC Tri-State IRT continue to function without delay.
“Everybody pitches in and helps out the community and I’m just happy to be part of the team,” said Parrott.
The DAEOC Tri-State IRT has seen more than 1500 patients between three clinic sites set up in Sikeston, Mo.; Barlow, Ky.; and Cairo, Ill., and will continue providing no-cost dental, optometry, and medical exams and procedures until June 22, 2019.
| Date Taken: | 06.19.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 06.19.2019 21:00 |
| Story ID: | 328417 |
| Location: | CAIRO, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, IRT support being served up by joint kitchen team, by SSgt Kevin Schulze, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
