By Tech. Sgt. Pamela Anderson
USAFE News Service

Maj. Elizabeth Shaw takes a woman's blood pressure at Tampion clinic at Med Flag 2006 in Tamale, Ghana, Sept. 12. More than 50 Airmen from United States Air Forces in Europe are participating in the humanitarian medical mission. Major Shaw is an education and training nurse with the 52nd Medical Group at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Carolyn Erfe)

TAMALE, Ghana -- More than 50 Airmen from U. S. Air Forces Europe arrived in Tamale, Ghana, in mid-September to participate in a humanitarian exercise called Med Flag 2006. The group, which consisted of medical, support and security troops from Spangdahlem, Ramstein and Sembach Air Bases in Germany, spent four days treating patients from the southern African city and surrounding rural areas.

The American military medical personnel will be working with their Ghanaian military counterparts for the duration of the exercise.

"The objective is to treat as many people as possible in the short time frame and to work side by side with the Ghanaian doctors and learn about regional diseases," said Colonel Timothy Vining, Chief of USAFE exercises.

"When the people line up, we will give the second group of about 200 passes that will move them to the front of the line the following day," he said. "This will give people an idea about whether or not they will be seen by a doctor so they're not waiting in line all day for nothing."

This is not the first time the U.S. government has arranged for military personnel to offer aid to African citizens, and it's seen as a gesture of goodness every year.

"(The Ghanaian people) appreciate the support extended to them," said the Honorable Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, Northern Regional Minister. "This is a significant deed from America and it registers effectively in the minds of the people in the region."

Though the goal of Med Flag is to help those who are less fortunate and who don't have access to standard health care, some of the care givers feel they will get something from this experience too.

"I'm looking forward to the opportunity to share common experiences with our Ghanaian counterparts and learn about their own unique approaches to medicine," said Maj. (Dr.) Kevin Bohnsack, a flight surgeon from Spangdahlem Air Base.