Learning from each other

Photo By Sgt. Lindsey Schulte | Royal Canadian Navy Lt. Commander Jo-Ann H. Hnatiuk hands the medication to Colombian Capt. Luz Esneda Rengifo who prescribed it to a patient at the Medical Readiness Training Exercise in Paraiso, Barahona. The MEDRETE is here as part of the Beyond the Horizon 2014 mission to build schools and clinics and provide medical care for the local residents of the Dominican Republic. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Lindsey Schulte, 364th Press Camp Headquarters, Task Force Larimar)  

BARAHONA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

05.29.2014

Story by Sgt. Lindsey Schulte 

364th Theater Public Affairs Support Element

BARAHONA, Dominican Republic - Partner nations gain valuable experience working together on the Beyond the Horizon 2014 mission in the Dominican Republic.

Representatives from the USA, Canada, Columbia and Brazil work together with the host nation to provide humanitarian assistance building clinics and schools, and providing health care at the Medical Readiness Training Exercise in Barahona.

“Each nation brings a different experience, each nation has their tricks and how they do work,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Erica N. Silvestre from Sacramento, Calif., with the 114th Minimal Care Detachment out of Fresno, Calif.

Coming together as partner nations presents the opportunity to share knowledge and experience.

“I've learned more medical things from these people. I went over to obstetrics and got to do my very first pap test,” said Canadian army Master Cpl. Tanya M. Woroniuk, with the 15 Field Ambulance out of Edmonton, Alberta.

Sharing skills not only improves their specific disciplines, but also in how they organize the MEDRETE.

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Isavelita V. Goodearly from Milpitas, Calif., with the 352nd Combat Support Hospital out of Camp Parks in Dublin, Calif., the registered nurse for the pediatric section said they mirrored the Canadians by having patients wait inside for pharmacy and educate them as they leave.

“Our's was pretty efficient, then we saw them and said yeah, we should do that,” said Goodearly.

Learning from each other worked for the engineer's side as well.

“U.S. Soldiers showed us how to bring some beams onto the buildings without using columns,” said Dominican Republic 2nd Lt. Deovanny Amparo through a translator.

Sharing engineering tricks with the host nation despite language differences is easier than it would seem.

“The nice thing about the engineering, is the principals are the same no matter where your from,” said U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Jacob R. Colbert from Frankford, Miss., with the 231st Civil Affairs Engineer out of St. Louis, Mo.

Aside from sharing techniques, all nations participated in the decision making.

“It's more or less a mutual conversation, a consensus to decide what works for the situation,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Darrell A. Sears from Frametown, W.V., with the 111th Engineer Brigade out of Redhouse, W.V., assigned to Task Force Larimar as quality assurance for Army Reserve South Command.

In the end, the mission is completed through cooperation.

“We all do things a little differently, but we're all working toward the same goal,” said U.S. Staff Sgt. Dudley K. Bang-Ura, a Spokane Wash. native, with the 1848th Medical Detachment out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

• Date Taken: 05.29.2014
• Date Posted: 05.30.2014 00:34
• Story ID: 131570
• Location: BARAHONA, DO
• Hometown: EDMONTON, AB, CA
• Hometown: DUBLIN, CA, US
• Hometown: FRAMETOWN, WV, US
• Hometown: FRANKFORD, MO, US
• Hometown: FRESNO, CA, US
• Hometown: JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA, US
• Hometown: MILPITAS, CA, US
• Hometown: SACRAMENTO, CA, US
• Hometown: SPOKANE, WA, US
• Hometown: ST. LOUIS, MO, US