177th Airmen take part in Cajun Care 2014

by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht
177th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

3/4/2014 - ABBEVILLE, La. -- Fourteen Airmen from the 177th Medical Group, New Jersey Air National Guard, are taking part in one of the largest Department of Defense community outreach efforts in the South from Feb. 26 to March 6 here during Cajun Care 2014.

Navy and Air National Guard medical personnel are providing free medical, dental, optometric, and pharmaceutical services to residents here and its surrounding communities.

New Jersey Air National Guardsman and Cajun Care Mission Commander Lt. Col. Jamie Ruffing said although their primary mission is ensuring U.S. military medical professionals are able to rapidly establish a functional medical facility, the mission's benefits to the community cannot be understated.

"We will be working in a joint environment, learning each other's military culture and training for a mission which could happen anywhere at any time," she said. "Most importantly, however, we fully expect to become part of this community. This will be our home for two weeks, and the people of Abbeville and the surrounding communities will be our neighbors."

Cajun Care 2014 is a joint ANG and Navy Reserve medical training mission serving the real world medical needs of the medically underserved residents of the Vermilion Parish.

"It's been extremely rewarding to help the community members here," said Master Sgt. Kara Kauffman, 177th Medical Group health systems technician. "They are so appreciative, it makes it all worthwhile."