KORAT ROYAL THAI AIR FORCE BASE, Thailand -- Corpsmen, flight surgeons and independent duty medical technicians have banded together under one roof during Exercise Cope Tiger.
The medical personnel here all have a similar mission, supporting service members with medical care.
“The most we have been seeing are stomach (influenzas) and upper respiratory infections,” said Lt. Khanh X. Nguyen, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12 flight surgeon and native of San Jose, Calif. “It’s mostly because of the Thai food - most service members are not used to its preparation. (Service members) are getting cold-like symptoms because of the different weather. It’s warm compared to Iwakuni.”
During the exercise, medical personnel responded to a couple of emergencies such as a heart attack and an appendectomy, said Senior Chief Petty Officer Juan A. Gonzalez, Marine Wing Support Group 17 senior medical department representative and native of Juarez, Mexico.
Gonzalez, who supports Marines, was the first to respond to a call about an airman with chest pains.
“By the time I saw him, he was in extreme pain and agony,” said Gonzalez. “We had to head straight to the emergency room.”
Working together has not been a tough adjustment for any of the medical personnel. They remind service members to hydrate, watch what they eat, drink only bottled water and practice a healthy lifestyle, as part of preventive medicine, said Lt. R. Allen Hoffman, Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Strike Fighter Squadron 27 flight surgeon and native of Somerset, N.J.
Most “docs” and corpsmen also visit work stations and the flightline. Service members depend primarily on the “doc’s” attention during the exercise and are attended to by whoever is on call.
“Medicine is the same anywhere you go,” said Air Force Capt. Dmitry Gorelik, Osan Air Base, South Korea, 25th Fighter Squadron flight surgeon and native of Minsk, Russia. “It doesn’t make a difference where you go. It’s the resources that change. Here (medical personnel) have done an amazing job taking care of everybody. Everyone is very professional and organized.”
Working together during the exercise has not only been beneficial to service members, but has tested the flight surgeon’s capacities.
“You see how both branches approach problems differently,” said Lt. Paul J. Alea, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 flight surgeon and native of Goodlettsville, Tenn. “From a medical standpoint it has been a great opportunity to work in operations. A lot of us have gained a lot of confidence by working out here and with limited medical resources.”