RANGPUR, Bangladesh -- Stairs are one of the most mundane parts of everyday life. Most people use them constantly; up, down, fast or slow, stairs are everywhere. Few people realize how prevalent they are until they're unable to climb them -- a struggle for children suffering from impairments that affect their coordination and depth perception.

Thanks to the work of a few good engineers, students at the Proyash School Rangpur Cantonment are learning to get around their world a little easier after U.S. and Bangladesh military engineers built them a simple set of stairs as part of Operation Pacific Angel, a joint and combined humanitarian medical and engineering mission that runs here June 1-5.

The Proyash School focuses on special needs students and the stairs will go a long way to preparing the students to function as adults, according to U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Deanna Medina, an occupational therapist.

Medina is participating in a subject matter expert exchange as part of Operation Pacific Angel and was the mastermind behind this project.

"I have been very impressed with the capability of the school," said Medina. "This is just a small change that can have a huge impact on the lives of these children and help the school grow their program."

Therapy stairs can help students enhance their functional mobility and strengthen their legs and core muscles. The goal is to increase their ability to have a vocation and sustain a life as an adult.

The stairs are just one of many projects designed to better the lives of the citizens of Bangladesh as part of Operation Pacific Angel.

"It is a real privilege to work here in Bangladesh," said U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Dan Guttery, the lead engineer for PACANGEL. "We call all see that we are making a real difference and that is a great feeling."

Engineers poured new concrete floors, plastered walls and installed drop ceilings to protect against the mid-day heat. In one school, they installed a roof over the ladies bathroom, increasing the likelihood that girls will attend school during the rainy season.
Even with all the updates to the schools, many of the students don't have adequate supplies such as pens and notebooks.

"We held a fundraiser within my unit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and we raised $1500 to buy school supplies for the children," said Guttery. "That bought us about 900 sets of supplies and we will divide that between all the schools to help make sure they have what they need to learn."

Engineers are working on five sites around Rangpur and Saidpur, all of which are schools and are based in some of the poorest areas in the region.

U.S. Pacific Command and Pacific Air Forces have sponsored four PACANGEL missions each year since 2007; this is the second mission to Bangladesh.