Citizen Airmen provide free medical services during Tropic Care

by Tech Sgt. Elizabeth Moody
440th Airlift Wing, Public Affairs

6/16/2014 - POPE ARMY AIRFIELD, N.C. -- Reservists from the 440th Medical Squadron here, are heading to Kauai, Hawaii in support of Tropic Care 2014. The federal program, which began in 2012, allows medical professionals from the armed forces to provide free health care services for the island's residents, between June 16 and June 26.

Like other humanitarian missions, Tropic Care prepares medical professionals for rapid deployment to remote locations, while providing under served communities with the medical services they need, said Chief Master Sgt. Candace Chesley, 440th MDS superintendent, here.

"It's an excellent opportunity for real-world field training," said Chesley.

Chesley said this mission also provides Pope's airmen the opportunity to gain experience working with people with different cultural backgrounds.

"You walk away with so much more than extra training," said the chief. "The team will gain a lot of human experience with another culture and you can't give anybody anything better than that."

The team of reservists from Pope Army Airfield includes a physical therapist, several dentists, and optometry and dental technicians, who will join other specialists from the armed forces to provide basic medical care for Kauai's locals.

One such medical volunteer, Maj. Eric James, 440th MDS physical therapist here, said this deployment will be his second humanitarian mission supporting Tropic Care.

"People in Kauai are especially interested in homeopathic treatments and once the word got out that physical therapy care was available, they lined up," said James, who hails from Oneonta, New York. "During the 2012 Tropic Care mission, I saw more than 230 patients over an eight-day period. On my busiest single day, I saw 37 patients - that's one patient every 12 minutes."

Tropic Care participants are seen on a first come, first serve basis and all services are free of charge, including dental care, basic health screening, eye care, and basic lab tests.

According to recent Hawaiian press, Kauai officials said they are hoping residents receive up to $10 million in free medical services through the Tropic Care 2014 mission.