Nuristan PRT Female Engagement Team holds MEDCAP for children

By U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Natassia Cherne

Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – The Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team’s Female Engagement Team held a medical civic action program directed at children in a remote village in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province Jan. 16 and 17.

Four female servicemembers from the PRT provided medical care and personal hygiene training during the visit.

U.S. Navy Lt. Jennifer Dreiling, the senior medical officer assigned to the PRT native from McLean, Va., provided medical treatment to over 50 children. The children they treated in the village had common cold symptoms, body aches, skin rashes, and gastrointestinal problems.

“I think it was very successful,” Dreiling said. “It was nice to treat children for once we don’t to see that population very often.”

One little girl came to the MEDCAP to receive a referral for her arm, which was severely burned when she was younger. The scar tissue on the burn was preventing her from moving her arm. To help her, Dreiling referred her to Indira Ghandi children’s hospital which treats children and gives family members a place to stay for free.

The young girl’s brother said he had heard the announcement of the MEDCAP on the radio and knew she needed special treatment, so he brought her in.

Another part of the MEDCAP was personal hygiene lessons. The classes taught the children how to brush their teeth, tips for treating a sore throat, and the importance of washing their hands.

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Kathleen Leach, an operations specialist for the PRT and native of Smithfield, R.I., taught the personal hygiene classes to the boys, while another member of the team taught the girls’ class.

“This was the most rewarding mission I’ve done. I feel like we positively affected the local populace and it was nice to teach the children health and sanitation,” Leach said. “We were able to give back to the community.”

The female engagement team that held the MEDCAP plans to do many more missions to reach out to young girls and women.

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan -U.S. Navy Lt. Jennifer Dreiling, the senior medical officer assigned to the PRT native from McLean, Va., examines a young girl during a medical civic action program directed at children in a small village in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, Jan.17. (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt Natassia Cherne Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan - U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Kathleen Leach, the operations specialist for the Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction team, native of Smithfield, R.I., and a female interpreter teach young girls how to brush their teeth in a small village in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, Jan. 17. The PRT’s Female Engagement Team taught several classes on the importance of hygiene and provided medical care to the children who needed it. (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt Natassia Cherne Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Two young Afghan boys enjoy Poptarts after the Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Female Engagement Team taught them about the importance of personal hygiene at a small village in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, Jan. 17 The Nuristan PRT visited the remote village and provided free medical care and classes on personal hygiene. (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt Natassia Cherne Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – A young girl waits to be examined by the Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team’s Female Engagement Team doctor at a small village in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, Jan. 17. During the two day visit, the PRT provided free medical care and personal hygiene classes to the local children.(U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt Natassia Cherne Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)

CONGRATS ON THOSE WHO RECEIVED ARMY AND NAVY ACHIEVEMENT MEDALS

CONGRATS TO OUR SERVICEMEMEBRS WHO MADE E-5!

Petty Officers 2nd Class Ring

Petty Officer 2nd Class Howard

Sgt. Veneziano

Followup on our Interviews with our Troops in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Iraq announcement

Bob Calvert

For those of you who have listened to some or all of the interviews I did over the past 10 days with our troops in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kosovo.... maybe you could share you thoughts on the event page.

I will not be online this next week as much as I normally am (many many hours a day:) however I will do my best to catch up each day.

I will be back here the evening of Jan 23rd. I have an announcement about this on my facebook main page.

Anything you all could do this week to get this information about our troops stories out to many people.. they and we would be very grateful. I do not any funds to advertise (I live on social security) and the news media did not respond to our news release.

If you could take our announcement and send it to all your facebook friends and other contacts that would be appreciated.

I told our troops I would do everything possible to get their stories out in 2010. Your help is definitely needed. Many of my "friends" on Facebook are with a veterans group or a military support group, a conservative group, a talk show, a ministry and more. I think I would be accurate to assume that YOU ALL support our troops and their families.

You all can collectively take their stories and bring them out to hundreds of thousands for starters.

Thank you
bob

Nuristan PRT visits local villagers

By U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Ashley Hawkins
Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan - U.S. Army Spc. Preston Hall, from Boumtiful, Utah, a member of the Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team civil affairs team, meets with elders in the Baba Kala village to gain information on the Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Afghan National Security Forces while U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Rozario from Reno, Nev., provides security, Jan. 10. The Nuristan PRT civil affairs team visited the local people with the purpose of developing positive relations with the villagers and better understanding their government and security forces. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Ashley Hawkins, Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan - A local boy guards a motorcycle while Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team civil affairs team members meets with village elders to gain information on the Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Afghan National Security Forces in eastern Afghanistan's Baba Kala village, Jan. 10. The civil affairs team visited the local people with the purpose of developing positive relations with the villagers and better understand their government and security forces. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Ashley Hawkins, Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan - U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Dailey, Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team medic from Rutherford, N.J., provides security while the civil affairs team meets with village elders to gain information on the Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Afghan National Security Forces in eastern Afghanistan's Baba Kala village, Jan. 10. The Nuristan PRT civil affairs team visited the local people with the purpose of developing positive relations with the villagers and better understand their government and security forces. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Ashley Hawkins, Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs)

U.S. troops and ANA help victims of insurgent violence

By U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Ashley Hawkins
Nuristan Provincial Reconstruction Team Public Affairs

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – When U.S. Army Lt. Col. Michael Forsyth, the commander of the 2nd Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment, was notified of an improvised explosive device attack on civilians, Jan. 6, he put together a plan of action for the Coalition and Afghan forces to give their condolences and make sure the truth of the incident got to the Afghan people.

The IED injured four young Afghan girls as they were exiting their school in the Wat e Jabbarkheyl village. One of the girls later died from her wounds; she was only 13 years old.

With their Afghan counterparts, U.S. servicemembers from Forward Operating Base Kalagush in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province attended the girl’s funeral, Jan. 7, to mourn her passing and to offer their condolences to the families affected by this tragedy.

“I think that it is...important for the local government and security forces to go out and express their condolences to the people,” said Forsyth, a Mayfield, Ky., native. “It is essential for the government to communicate that they do care and that the local population can depend on their own officials when they need them.”

“Our presence there made a difference because it let the local population know that we’re here to help them,” U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Aaron Guzman from Orlando, Fla., said. “It was crucial for the ANA to be there also, to let them know their military does care for them and it shows unity between Afghan forces and U.S. forces.”

The night following the insurgent attack on the four girls, the ones responsible for the attack sent messages claiming U.S. forces were responsible for the incident. The commander wanted to make sure the truth of what happened got to the public.

First thing the next morning, the sub-governor of the Nuraram District gave a radio address, telling his people about the assault and expressing his concerns and outrage on the matter.

After the funeral, the ANA handed out care packages containing blankets, toiletries and school supplies to the families and the surviving victims.

“We are all incredibly sorry about the killing in Wat e Jabbarkheyl village,” Forsyth said. “It was an extremely repulsive act and it disgusts me that anyone would do anything [of] that nature.”

NURISTAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Capt. Rahmat Gul, an Afghan National Army commander, gives toiletries, snacks and school supplies to the children of the Wat e Jabbarkheyl village, in eastern Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, after a funeral ceremony was held for a 13-year-old girl who was killed by an improvised explosive device, Jan. 7. U.S. forces and the ANA visited the village to express their condolences for the victims and their families, and also to strengthen relations with the local people. (Courtesy Photo)

Thank you Wild West Snacks

Nuristan PRT would like to thank Wild West Snacks, especailly Anthony Nicoli and John & Cyndi Stout for sending us 10 bags of declisios jerky. Our servicememebrs loved it!

Thank you for all the support, please enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed the snacks.

U.S. Navy Servicmembers for PO2 Thomas Beck and Airman Robert Wagner enjoy some tender jerky.

Nuristan PRT Medical staff, takes a break from a hard day of work to enjoy some tasty treats. (Left to Right) Dr. Jennifer Dreiling, HM2 robert Dailey and HM1 Frank Graza.

Thanks again Wild West Snacks :)