Operation Arctic Care 2007

[Cavalryman]

I had the privilege of participating in a big joint-services logistics/disaster preparedness exercise the last 2 weeks of April. It involved PHS, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Army personnel from active and reserve components. We went to 11 villages above the arctic circle with medical, dental, veterinary, and optometry teams and did "full-court press" medical care for the Natives. We worked long hours, slept on the school floor, and ate MREs (Meal, Ready to Eat -- three lies in one phrase), but it was a blast!

My wife participated too, but we didn't go to the same villages. I have lots of pictures. I'll start with a few tonight and keep posting until someone cries "uncle"! :icon_biggrin:

The brain trust planning what to do to us:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v633/kelton01/Arctic%20Care%202007/IMGP0005.jpg

Your mother (wife) wears combat boots:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v633/kelton01/Arctic%20Care%202007/IMGP0012-1.jpg

Look! The bus is here:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v633/kelton01/Arctic%20Care%202007/IMGP0013.jpg

Guess I'd better get on -- bundled up so heavily I could hardly waddle, even climbing into the chopper was a challenge:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v633/kelton01/Arctic%20Care%202007/IMGP0016.jpg

What's a gray-haired old doctor doing in a place like this?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v633/kelton01/Arctic%20Care%202007/IMGP0019.jpg

That would be the rest of the team:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v633/kelton01/Arctic%20Care%202007/IMGP0025.jpg

Caribou roast and mixed wild berries -- sure beats MREs (which actually stands for "my rectum exploded"):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v633/kelton01/Arctic%20Care%202007/4-24012-1.jpg

More to come! :rockon:

[Darkwatch]

Good on you!! Nice to know people still care in these times. And you did have a bit of that "I can't move my arms!!!" Look going:wink:

[SteelCore]

"Look! The bus is here:"
-->Neat, never saw a chopper with snowshoes before! ;)

So, how does caribou compare to elk? Pretty similar? Looks good....I like me some big quadrupeds.

[Norton]

How did the Caribou and blueberry taste? Looks good

[okie shooter]

Got a question about the folks you worked with in the villages up there, do they have the problems that the tribes in the lower 48 have with things like diabeties hitting a larger precentage of the population compared to the rest of the us. I know the tribes here have to work hard with their folks on this idea plus others, they are gaining great health care services here due to the tribes having money to spend on it(I imagine the state has plenty of money going to tribes too due to oil royalties too there)