Utah Guard members provide aid to Moroccan villagers during African Lion 2012

By Army National Guard Sgt. Nicolas A. Cloward

Utah National Guard

AGADIR, Morocco (4/23/12) – Soldiers from the Utah State Medical Command, Utah Army National Guard, worked alongside Moroccan military medical personnel April 13, providing medical aid for as many people as they could during African Lion 2012, an annual partnership training exercise between U.S. forces and the Royal Moroccan Military.

Throngs of Moroccan villagers gathered around the Humanitarian Civil Assistance site in Sidi Moussa, Morocco and pathways to the examination rooms were crowded with parents eagerly trying to receive medical aid for them and their children.

Army Sgt. Robert W. Carpenter, a combat medic for MEDCOM, said MEDCOM arrived on site early in the morning and began setting up each individual clinic. The HCA site provided several clinics such as general medicine, dermatology, respiratory, pediatric, gynecology, ear, nose and throat, Ophthalmology and dental.

Because of the large number of Moroccans seeking medical aid, the HCA crew was only able to provide care in one of the areas per person – medical, dental or ophthalmology. Once the villagers got into the clinic the crew was faced with another problem – language.

Carpenter said a major obstacle was the language barrier. In Morocco, the three main languages are French, Arabic and Berber. Berber is a common language spoken among the small villages of Morocco and has three dialects. Each one is so unique that people that speak one dialect may have a difficult time understanding one of the other dialects.

Luckily, interpreters from the 300th Military Intelligence Brigade, Royal Moroccan Military and Peace Corps were available to help bridge the language gap between the villagers and physicians. Many times, information about a patient’s condition would have to be translated through several people before getting back to the care provider, Carpenter said.

Army 1st Lt. Emily S. Smith, a physician assistant for MEDCOM, worked in the pediatric clinic and said she understood first-hand the value of overcoming the language barriers. “If it weren’t for the interpreters, we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish what we did.”

Despite the overwhelming demand of health care needs and the labyrinth of linguistic daisy chains, the service members and volunteers of the HCA were able to provide medical care for more than 1,000 in a single days work.

“There’s still just so much work to be done,” Carpenter said.

USS Simpson Concludes Visit to Casablanca

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Felicito Rustique, Navy Public Affairs Support Element-East Detachment Europe

CASABLANCA, Morocco (NNS) -- Guided-missile frigate USS Simpson (FFG 56) and senior staff members from U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa concluded a three-day port visit of training, band engagements, and senior staff talks in Casablanca, Feb. 2.

During the visit, Simpson conducted visit, board, search and seizure training with Royal Moroccan Navy personnel and received a tour of the Royal Moroccan Navy vessel Tarek Ben Zayid. Staff members from U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa met with senior leaders from the Royal Moroccan Navy to strengthen maritime partnerships, while members from the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe Band conducted two community service projects at a girls' orphanage and boys' center in the city.

Rear Adm. Kenneth Norton, deputy chief of staff for Strategy, Resources, and Plans at U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, along with his staff and the crew of Simpson, hosted the U.S. ambassador to Morocco, Samuel Kaplan, his wife and his staff, and top commanders from the Royal Moroccan Navy and Army, honoring the relationship between Morocco and their U.S. partners.

Royal Moroccan Army Col. Mohammed Amharouch said he was happy to have the Simpson crew visit his city.

"It's good to form bridges between our two nations," said Amharouch. "More visits, like the Simpson's, will help our navies and countries move together into the future with vision."

Cmdr. Leonard Milliken, USS Simpson commanding officer, commented on the events and training the two countries completed during their time in Casablanca.

"Today was a great day," said Milliken. "We had tours where we provided training aboard to members of the Royal Moroccan Navy and some of our Sailors visited and boarded a Moroccan vessel as well. Our visit to Morocco has been a success."

Norton also spoke to the guests by offering praise to the Simpson's crew and stressing the importance of partnership between the U.S. and countries like Morocco.

"I'd like to conclude [the evening] with this thought: maritime security allows for economic opportunity," said Norton. "And economic opportunity allows for prosperity, and I think that's in all our best interest."

USS Simpson, homeported out of Mayport, Fla., is currently conducting theater security cooperation and maritime security operations in the Naval Forces Africa area of responsibility.