Photo By Staff Sgt. Adriana Barrientos | U.S. Air Force Lt. Col Zoraida Soriano, 349th Medical Squadron internal medicine...... read more read more
KINGSTOWN, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — U.S. Air Force medical professionals from the 433rd Aerospace Medicine Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, and the 349th Medical Squadron, Travis Air Force Base, California, partnered with the Ministry of Health, Wellness, and the Environment in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to host a community health fair during Air Forces Southern (AFSOUTH) Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) 2025 mission, March 19-20.
The health fair served as a bridge between U.S. medical professionals and local healthcare providers and residents, fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration. Physicians, nurses and medical technicians engaged with the community, addressing health concerns and reinforcing preventative care education.
"I really enjoyed this health fair," said Maj. Samantha DiBlasi, mission deputy commander for Saint Vincent’s iteration of LAMAT 25. "We were able to connect with so many members of the community and provide them with valuable health information and services. Events like this are crucial for building relationships with our partner nations and ensuring our medical teams are prepared to respond to a wide range of health challenges."
The LAMAT mission is a series of global health engagement initiatives designed to strengthen partnerships between the U.S. and host nations while enhancing military readiness. By conducting medical outreach, these missions enable active duty and Reserve Citizen Airmen to refine their clinical and operational skills in diverse environments, ensuring they are prepared to deliver care in any setting.
The health fair provided essential medical services to more than 500 residents over the course of two days, offering blood pressure and blood sugar screenings, physician consultations, nutritional counseling, first aid education, CPR demonstrations, oral hygiene education, vision assessments and health and wellness outreach.
“I was excited to learn about CPR,” said Louann Boide, a local resident. “It was good, I’ve never really got to do CPR before. It was my first time learning with the Air Force, and this is something I can take back to my social work community.”
The event also provided a valuable opportunity for U.S. Air Force medical personnel, to enhance their skills in a resource-limited setting similar to deployed environments. Working alongside their counterparts, they gained essential experience in patient care, logistics coordination and public health education.
“I love seeing people get educated on what our mission is, what you can do at your level, even without a medical background,” said DiBlasi. “And if you do have a medical background, how you can advance that and utilize it. This is what I wanted to see.”
Through partnerships like LAMAT 2025, the U.S. Air Force continues to support medical readiness, build cooperation and improve healthcare interoperability.
| Date Taken: | 03.20.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.24.2025 20:11 |
| Story ID: | 493628 |
| Location: | VC |
| Web Views: | 87 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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