Photo By Sgt. Adrian Muehe | Spc. Michael Epperson, of Cartersville, Ga., and a medic for Headquarters Support...... read more read more
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DIYALA, Iraq — As the sun rose over the Bakhtiyari neighborhood of Khaniqan, Iraq, citizens started lining up at the local clinic to receive medical care, June 22. The treatment being offered wasn’t from the normal medical staff of one doctor and several nurses. Instead, medics and doctors from three battalions of 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, treated the patients.
Coming together for this Military Civilian Medical Operation were Soldiers from Charlie Company, 296th Brigade Support Battalion; Headquarters Support Battery, 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, and Alpha Troop, 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment.
Throughout the day approximately 300 people entered the clinic to seek treatment and medicine for their ailments ranging from minor aches and pains to more serious injuries or diseases. While these men, women, and children displayed different symptoms, they all share a common background.
“Bakhtiyari is actually made up of a lot of residents who were prior displaced persons in Iran,” said Capt. Nick Shallcross, of Longmont, Colo., and the commander of Alpha Troop, 1/14th Cav. “They are all Iraqi, many of whom are Shia, that were kicked out of Iraq by the Saddam regime. They lived in refugee camps in Iran, and then came back to Khaniqan after the fall of Saddam.”
This quarter of Khaniqan was a “tent city” a couple years ago before the refugees began building permanent homes for themselves. This neighborhood also has a Red Crescent center, an Iraqi Police Station, and a small clinic, said Capt. Shallcross
“We’ve been planning a MCMO in Bakhtiyari for awhile,” said Capt. Shallcross. “We have done three MCMOs in this northern part of our AO (Area of Operation) since January. We identified Bakhtiyari for this because, since they were displaced persons, they don’t get a lot of support and we wanted to help them out.”
Peshmerga, Iraqi police, and U.S. forces provided security for this event. Medical personal from the brigade established two private exam rooms to treat minor inflictions, administer medicine, and guide patients where to receive additional care.
“We can only treat for acute care issues,” said Capt. Morrie Fanto, commander of HSB, 1/37th FA. “We can treat for pain, common illnesses [such as a cold], and give out medicine. We can also refer more serious cases to the local hospital where hopefully they can get those issues addressed.”
While patients waited to be screened, they received a class on public health by Capt. Mary Nolan, of Lewiston, Minn., the preventive medicine officer for 3rd SBCT, 2nd ID, where they learned how washing their hands and brushing their teeth can improve their quality of life
During the hours of the MCMO, workers at the clinic were walking around with cameras, taking pictures and video of all the excitement happening in their usually deserted clinic.
“Ordinarily, we only have a few visitors come in on a daily basis,” said Galib Gafor, the Bakhtiyari Medical Clinic director. “I am very happy about this. I wish this could happen every day.”
The Soldiers from these three battalions plan on doing two more MCMOs in the surrounding area, and these will be the last ones rendered by 3 SBCT, 2nd ID.
“Our tour is winding down,” said Fanto. “There isn’t much time left, so these will be the last ones we will conduct.”
| Date Taken: | 06.22.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 06.30.2010 04:26 |
| Story ID: | 52174 |
| Location: | DIYALA, IQ |
| Web Views: | 359 |
| Downloads: | 311 |
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