Pacific Angel 11-2 optometry clinic helps Com residents see a brighter future

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt Phillip Butterfield
  • Operation Pacific Angel 2011 Public Affairs
COM, Timor Leste --  Vision, one of a person's five basic senses, is a crucial part of life and when it is obscured by debris, age or an accident, living becomes a little harder.

The optometry clinic for Operation Pacific Angel 11-2 at the Com Primary School performs examinations, fills prescriptions for glasses and prescribes medication to any patient who needs it.

The clinic is prepared to prescribe more than 450 pairs of glasses to improve the vision of the Timorese people and assist them with seeing a brighter future.

Operation Pacific Angel is a joint and combined humanitarian assistance operation led by 13th Air Force at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. The operation supports U.S. Pacific Command's capacity-building efforts by partnering with other governments in the region to provide medical, dental, optometry, veterinary and engineering assistance to their citizens.

"This is a very rewarding experience for me and all the servcemembers participating in this operation," said U.S. Force Master Sgt. Daniel Chapman, optometry specialist. "I've had patients come in who haven't been able to see correctly for a long time and 10 minutes under our care, they are walking out into a bright new day."

Operation Pacific Angel medical personnel will administer free primary medical, women's health, dental and optometry care to the residents of Timor-Leste in the Tri-Loca Primary School, Baucau and the Com Primary School, Com Sept. 19-23.