The Gem State Guardian - Spring 2012

Spc. Nicolette Eberline (left), of the 145th Brigade Support Battalion, holds a patient steady for a
Cambodian medical provider to diagnose the cause of an ear infection while Maj. Ryan Robinson
(center), 145th BSB commander, and a Cambodian soldier observe, March 16 at Kampot province.
Idaho National Guard soldiers participated in a Medical Civic Action Program with Royal Cambodian
Armed Forces during Angkor Sentinel 2012, an annual bilateral military exercise sponsored by U.S.
Army Pacific and hosted by Cambodian forces.
Maj. Heidi Munro, commander of Charlie
Company, 145th BSB, said this experience
is unlike any training that could be replicated
at home for her Soldiers.
“Our training is usually focused on treating
combat injuries; this is much more complex
because the Soldiers have to diagnose
actual patients with different illnesses and
diseases,” she said.
The Children’s Surgical Center performed
ophthalmic surgeries, including cataract
removal, and prescribed many pairs of eyeglasses.
Capt. Andrew Schug, of the Idaho Army
National Guard Medical Detachment, was
enthusiastic about the mission; “It is definitely
a rewarding experience. You hear
stories about what it’s going to be like, but
it’s not until you get a patient standing in
front of you, blind in one eye with glaucoma,
that you can really understand what we are
doing here. That isn’t something anyone
can prepare you for.”
Patients also sought dental care, mainly
extractions. Dental technicians with the
Idaho Army National Guard received hands-
on experience in extracting teeth, a skill
reserved only for dentists at home.
“The ability to help the Cambodians
who cannot afford dental care, to give them
some pain relief is very rewarding,” said
Spc. Sara McDonald, a dental technician
with the Idaho Army National Guard.
The RCAF medical team said the
MEDCAP program benefited both nations
involved, as well as the ancillary organizations
that supported it, as they worked
together to help improve the health of the
Cambodian population.
Um Oeun, an RCAF medical officer,
expressed his thoughts on working with the
U.S. military, “We all get more experience
when we are able to train together, and the
American military is very helpful in assisting
with this mission in Cambodia. We are so
happy we have the best cooperation with
the American military.”
The RCAF has conducted several
MEDCAP humanitarian missions with U.S.
forces in the past.
“I have done missions often with the Air
Force, Navy, and Army,” said Commander
Ky Yadeth, of the Royal Cambodian Navy.
“I like doing them because I like to see the
cooperation between the Cambodian military
and the American military.”
Interpreters working with the medical team
said patients were grateful to receive free
health care because many families in rural
Cambodia can’t afford medical treatment.
“I think what the Soldiers will take away
from this experience is an appreciation for
everything we have at home, especially
health care,” said Munro.
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