Oct. 2, 2023

Royal Thai Air Force nurses team up with 59th MDW for U.S. healthcare collaboration

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO- LACKLAND, Texas — During July and August 2023, the 59th Medical Wing hosted a team of five Royal Thai Air Force nurses from Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital, Sai Mai District, Bangkok, Thailand, known for delivering primary care services to RTAF personnel and the wider community. The nurses were immersed in the U.S. Air Force’s comprehensive healthcare system, global medical readiness initiatives, research, innovation, and international relations. This unique initiative fostered knowledge exchange between RTAF nurses and their American peers.

Sept. 13, 2023

Mission of compassion: surgeons restore sight and forge connections in Panama

Regional Hospital Dr. Luis "Chicho" Fabrega, Santiago de Veraguas, Panama — Panamax Alpha 2023, an annual ophthalmology Medical Readiness Training Exercise (MEDRETE), is aimed to enhance the surgical skills and operational readiness of team members by immersing them in a range of prevalent chronic eye conditions in the region. In July 2023, 32 TriService military members traveled to the Regional Hospital Dr. Luis "Chicho" Fabrega where the team conducted rapid preliminary screenings for 300 patients within just three days, followed by a remarkable total of 291 surgeries over the subsequent eight days, leaving an impact through nearly 750 clinic appointments.

April 14, 2023

59MDW: An Airman who wants to make a difference through international relations

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas — It was a beautiful, breezy afternoon with the sun high in the sky. Stephanie Essomba was about 15 years old in Yaoundé, Cameroon in Central Africa, walking in the city with her mother. The roadside was bustling with restaurants and traffic from nearby businesses and embassies when a car she’d never seen before drove past them. The license plate was different. It had a flag hanging on the front. Essomba asked her mom “Why is that car so different?” and she responded “It’s a diplomat’s car.” In that moment, the desire to become “that person” was triggered. Airman 1st Class Stephanie Essomba, a dental laboratory technician at the 59th Dental Support Squadron, began learning about policy processes, decision making and the impact those policies could have on people’s lives and fell in love with it.