All eyes on total force Pacific Angel team

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Cohen A. Young
  • Defense Media Activity-Hawaii
DILI, Timor Leste --  A total force team of U.S. military eye specialists is working together here to improve the eyesight of local East Timorese people as part of Operation Pacific Angel 2009.

Pacific Angel is a Pacific Air Forces humanitarian assistance operation in the Asia-Pacific region led by 13th Air Force at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. Two Pacific Angel teams are operating through July 24 - one here and another in Indonesia.

"My role here on this mission as an optometrist is to provide basic eye care services to the East Timorese people," said Maj. Brian Kemper, a native of Eagle River, Alaska. Major Kemper is assigned to the 3rd Aerospace Medicine Squadron at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.

"We're providing eyeglasses, medication and referrals for surgery to the national hospital [in Timor Leste]," said Major Kemper.

The four members of the optometry section have helped hundreds of people as of July 20, according to Maj. Kemper.

"We've been able to provide 800 people with eye ware that wouldn't have had access to treatment or would have lacked the funds to purchase glasses," Major Kemper added.

Active duty, reserve and national guard members make up the total force team, who have come to Indonesia from all around the globe.

"I'm active duty, and we have a reserve optometrist from Florida, an active duty technician from South Korea, and a guard technician from Georgia," said Major Kemper.

Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Kapheim, an optometry technician from the Air National Guard's 165th Medical Group in Savannah, Ga., said such total force teams are valuable to the nation.

"I believe the guard and reserve complement the active duty Air Force in a great way," said Sergeant Kapheim. "Everyone has been fantastic and everything has been seamless because we are all here for the same mission."

Major Kemper said he has been impressed with team's performance and commitment to working with local authorities to help the East Timorese people.

"We've been able to get a lot of good training, and the technicians have really stepped up and done an amazing job working over and above what they may have done at their home station," said Major Kemper.

The operation has been a memorable one for all the members of the team, Sergeant Kapheim said.

"The experience here has been very fun, very rewarding and a learning experience because I met the locals and worked with interpreters," said Sergeant Kapheim.

The optometry team has epitomized the Air Force's total force with their success providing needed optometry assistance to people in under served areas here during Pacific Angel.

"It's rewarding seeing their faces when...you've improved their vision, which is going to help improve their life outside of here," added Sergeant Kapheim.