Posted on 03/22/2007 6:47:57 PM PDT by SandRat
RIBTA, Djibouti, March 22, 2007 — A recent Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa site survey to find water in northern Djibouti turned into a lifesaving medical assist for a young Ribta child. Members of the North Carolina-based 1132nd Engineer Detachment (Well Drillers) were conducting a mission with hydrogeologists from the Naval Facilities Engineering Command to identify potential water well sites when they were asked by a local leader for medical assistance.
A Ribta girl suffered third-degree burns to her left arm that had become infected, necessitating lifesaving medical attention. The local leader requested the team help the young child.
Fortunately, embedded with the team that day was Dr. Gamal, the Djibouti minister of agriculture. Gamal reassured family and village members that the U.S. team would do everything they could to render medical aid to the little girl.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. William Brown, the team medic, U.S. Army Sgt. Phillip Lawing, and U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. William Lee conducted the initial first aid assessment and treatment at the village. According to Brown, the severity of the burn and the appearance of infection were of primary concern.
“My initial concern was the size of her arm and the severity of the burns to her entire arm. She felt no pain and it looked severely infected,” said Brown.
Lawing and Brown cleaned and dressed the wound and prepared the child for ground transport to the nearest medical facility that could handle this kind of injury. After contacting headquarters at Camp Lemonier, the team was given permission to transport the child to the town of Obock, which had a facility recommended by Gamal.
Gamal translated the information to the family and village members about the immediate medical attention needed for the girl’s wounds that could possibly save her life. It was decided by the family that the little girl would be accompanied to the hospital by her mother and little sister for moral support.
Upon arriving at the hospital in Obock after a 90-minute drive, Gamal and the team members gave all the necessary information to the medical staff and left the family at the hospital for continued medical treatment. The Army National Guard well drilling team returned about two hours later to receive an update on her condition from the medical staff. She was released by the hospital staff with additional medicine and caring instructions for her wound and was transported back to her village by the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa team.
The mission of CJTF-HOA is to prevent conflict, promote regional stability and protect coalition interests in order to prevail against extremism. The CJTF-HOA organization began operations at Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, May 13, 2003. It works with partner nations on humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, consequence management, civic action programs to include medical and veterinary care, school and medical clinic construction and water development projects.
Our Troops! Heroes again!
A couple of years ago here on FR, I ran across a quote from another FReeper that seems apropos, from memory: "When disaster strikes, when catastrophe occurs, when all else has failed and hope is dim, the one thing every human on earth wants to hear is the sound of a U.S. military helicopter."
Nice !!!!
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