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***image1***Babadag, Romania, is a quiet town – a tiny potpourri of about 10,000 Romanians, Turks, Roma and Lipovans surrounded by wide skies and sunflower fields an hour’s drive from the Black Sea.
The village’s Dimitrie Cantemir High School graduates about 25 seniors each year. Its walls, lined with pictures of Cantemir, a former prince of Moldavia, and fading photos of graduating classes, are a small but precise portrayal of the village’s character – steeped in history, proud and poor. It was to this setting that a group of U.S. and Romanian Soldiers came to provide medical care that the villagers might not otherwise receive.
Members of the 212th Combat Support Hospital and the Heidelberg Medical Department Activity who are in Romania participating in training at Joint Task Force-East, screened locals to identify medical problems, checked blood
pressures and temperatures, distributed handouts on a variety of medical issues and
offered immediate optical and dental treatment on site during the July 1 Humanitarian Civic Assistance visit.
There was even a veterinarian from the South Atlantic District Veterinarian Command in South Carolina on the team, although none of the villagers took advantages of his expertise.
***image2***“Today has been great. We have been well received by the community, who came with a positive attitude,” said Capt. Tameka Bowser, 212th Combat Support Hospital, who served as the supervising officer for the mission.
More than 60 people were treated during the first day of the Babadag mission – one of five three-day visits the team will conduct. During weekly missions this month, the team will travel to Jurilovca, Visterna, Sarichioi and Enisala.
“It’s important to make our presence known while we’re here, to treat as many people as possible,” said Captain Bowser. “So far, the people are very happy that we are here.”
Sgt. Whitney Knowles, 212th CSH and one of the Soldiers who screened
residents, said she was excited by the chance to treat the locals and introduce them to the U.S. Army in a positive way.
“It’s so different than what I do on a daily basis. It’s my first chance to do this in a (foreign) country.”
After being screened, the locals could opt to be seen by the U.S. Army optical and dental professionals or to take a record of their screening for later medical treatment by local doctors. Every person who showed up decided to be seen by a specialist.
“They’re seeing new equipment and new medical techniques,” said 1st Lt. Ioan Timonea of the Romanian army’s 21st Mountain Battalion. “Around here, the
technology is not very advanced and, even then, it is still very expensive.”
Captain Bowser said the missions are an opportunity to show their Romanian army
counterparts and the people of Romania that she and her colleagues are making a positive difference.
“We’ve discovered that it’s possible to join together and overcome our difficulties. We see that we can resolve some problems together,” said Lieutenant Timonea. “I hope that in the future we can do the same thing.”
