1. MEDFLAG 2009 – Swaziland DENCAP – U.S. Army Africa –
090807-F-8133W111
Some cool Experience South Africa People images:
MEDFLAG 2009 – Swaziland DENCAP – U.S. Army Africa – 090807-F-8133W111
www.usaraf.army.mil
The ‘tooth’ comes out in Swaziland village
By Staff Sgt. Lesley Waters
CJTF-HOA Public Affairs
HHOHHO, Swaziland (August 8, 2009) – Six-member combined dental team from the Air Force,
Army and Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force (USDF) treated 55 patients during the two-day
dental civic assistance project (DENCAP) as part of exercise MEDFLAG 09 here, Aug. 6-7.
Three of the four Air Force members are assigned to the 920th Aeromedical Staging Squadron
out of Patrick AFB, Fla. The fourth, Air Force Col. Dean Whitman is an oral and maxillofacial
surgeon with the 59th Medical Wing at Wilford Medical Hall, Texas, and Army Spc. Reginald
Lee, 212th Combat Support Hospital dental hygienist out of Vicenza, Italy, is the fifth member of
the team.
“I don’t know where else I would want to be,” Whitman said. “It has been an awesome
experience to come to South Africa and help the people of Swaziland out.”
Colonel Whitman said the team’s success wouldn’t happen without its sixth member, 1st Lt.
Themba Dlamini, USDF dental hygienist and exercise MEDFLAG 09 interpreter.
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2. “There is always some sort of language barrier when you go to another country,” Whitman said.
“Even though some of the villagers speak English, the majority of them speak Swahili. It has
been great to have Themba interpret for us.”
“I have really enjoyed working with my fellow U.S. dental members,” Dlamini said. “Not too
many fellow countrymen visit a dentist office very often, so to have Col. Whitman and Maj. Kevin
Hachmeister come in and extract a badly decayed tooth was a great benefit.”
The six-person dental team saw 11 patients on day one and 44 patients the second day. They
are scheduled to visit a village in each of the other three provinces – Mkhwakhweni, Mafutseni
and Shiselweni – during the final week of the MEDFLAG exercise.
MEDFLAG 09, is a joint and combined military exercise conducted by U.S. Army Africa
(USARAF) which supports the AFRICOM commander’s Theater Security Cooperation (TSC)
strategy wherein U.S. military send medical capabilities to African countries. The exercise
consisted of three phases: classroom training, a mass casualty exercise (MASCAL) and
humanitarian and civic assistance (HCA) events, to include medical, dental and veterinary
assistance to the people of Swaziland.
The U.S. service members are in Swaziland at the invitation of the Swazi government and in
coordination with the U.S. Embassy in Mbabane. The exercise is an example of U.S. military’s
commitment to a partner relationship with the country of Swaziland.
This image is cleared for public release and generally considered in the public domain. Request
credit be given to the individual photographer and Department of the Army.
To learn more about US Army Africa, visit us online at: Official Website
PHOTO CAPTION: 1st Lt. Themba Dlamini, Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force dental
hygienist, looks on as Air Force Col. Dean Whitman, 59th Medical Wing Wilford Medical Hall
oral and maxillofacial surgeon, numbs a patient’s mouth during the first day of the two-day
dental civic assistance project (DENCAP), in Hhohho Village in the Zinyane Province,
Swaziland, Aug. 7. The dentists treated 55 patients during the two-day DENCAP. The U.S.
service members are in Swaziland at the invitation of the Swazi government and in coordination
with the U.S. Embassy in Mbabane. MEDFLAG is a joint and combined military exercise
between the USDF and U.S. Army Africa that supports the U.S. Africa Command
(USAFRICOM) commander’s Theater Security Cooperation (TSC) strategy wherein U.S. sends
medical capabilities to African countries. (Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Lesley Waters)
MEDFLAG 2009 – Swaziland DENCAP – U.S. Army Africa – 090807-F-8133W111
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3. www.usaraf.army.mil
The ‘tooth’ comes out in Swaziland village
By Staff Sgt. Lesley Waters
CJTF-HOA Public Affairs
HHOHHO, Swaziland (August 8, 2009) – Six-member combined dental team from the Air Force,
Army and Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force (USDF) treated 55 patients during the two-day
dental civic assistance project (DENCAP) as part of exercise MEDFLAG 09 here, Aug. 6-7.
Three of the four Air Force members are assigned to the 920th Aeromedical Staging Squadron
out of Patrick AFB, Fla. The fourth, Air Force Col. Dean Whitman is an oral and maxillofacial
surgeon with the 59th Medical Wing at Wilford Medical Hall, Texas, and Army Spc. Reginald
Lee, 212th Combat Support Hospital dental hygienist out of Vicenza, Italy, is the fifth member of
the team.
“I don’t know where else I would want to be,” Whitman said. “It has been an awesome
experience to come to South Africa and help the people of Swaziland out.”
Colonel Whitman said the team’s success wouldn’t happen without its sixth member, 1st Lt.
Themba Dlamini, USDF dental hygienist and exercise MEDFLAG 09 interpreter.
“There is always some sort of language barrier when you go to another country,” Whitman said.
“Even though some of the villagers speak English, the majority of them speak Swahili. It has
been great to have Themba interpret for us.”
“I have really enjoyed working with my fellow U.S. dental members,” Dlamini said. “Not too
many fellow countrymen visit a dentist office very often, so to have Col. Whitman and Maj. Kevin
Hachmeister come in and extract a badly decayed tooth was a great benefit.”
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4. The six-person dental team saw 11 patients on day one and 44 patients the second day. They
are scheduled to visit a village in each of the other three provinces – Mkhwakhweni, Mafutseni
and Shiselweni – during the final week of the MEDFLAG exercise.
MEDFLAG 09, is a joint and combined military exercise conducted by U.S. Army Africa
(USARAF) which supports the AFRICOM commander’s Theater Security Cooperation (TSC)
strategy wherein U.S. military send medical capabilities to African countries. The exercise
consisted of three phases: classroom training, a mass casualty exercise (MASCAL) and
humanitarian and civic assistance (HCA) events, to include medical, dental and veterinary
assistance to the people of Swaziland.
The U.S. service members are in Swaziland at the invitation of the Swazi government and in
coordination with the U.S. Embassy in Mbabane. The exercise is an example of U.S. military’s
commitment to a partner relationship with the country of Swaziland.
This image is cleared for public release and generally considered in the public domain. Request
credit be given to the individual photographer and Department of the Army.
To learn more about US Army Africa, visit us online at: Official Website
PHOTO CAPTION: Air Force Tech Sgt. Alesandro Figueroa, 920th Aeromedical Staging
Squadron dental hygienist, assists Air Force Maj. Kevin Hachmeister, 920th Aeromedical
Staging Squadron dentist, as he performs an extraction during the first day of the two-day
dental civic assistance project (DENCAP), in Hhohho Village in the Zinyane Province,
Swaziland, Aug. 7. The dentists treated 55 patients during the two-day DENCAP. The U.S.
service members are in Swaziland at the invitation of the Swazi government and in coordination
with the U.S. Embassy in Mbabane. MEDFLAG is a joint and combined military exercise
between the USDF and U.S. Army Africa that supports the U.S. Africa Command
(USAFRICOM) commander’s Theater Security Cooperation (TSC) strategy wherein U.S. sends
medical capabilities to African countries. (Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Lesley Waters)
More information on South African experience at :
http://southafricanexperience.com/medflag-2009-swaziland-dencap-u-s-army-africa-090807-f-81
33w111/
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