Vietnamese military officials visit PACAF leadership

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Cohen A. Young
  • Defense Media Activity-Hawaii
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii --  Members of the Vietnam National Search and Rescue Committee visited Pacific Air Forces leaders here June 2 to discuss future humanitarian and search-and-rescue operations.

Lt. Gen. Chip Utterback, 13th Air Force commander, greeted Lt. Gen. Tran, Quang Khue and six other Vietnamese military officials to discuss several operations. Among them was Pacific Angel, a medical and engineering operation and Guardian Angel, a search and rescue exercise taking place in the near future in Vietnam. The United States and Vietnam are building a partnership in the region and exercises like these help strengthen the partnership.

Sixty percent of the personnel and equipment involved in the Pacific Angel Exercise in September will be medical related and the other 40 percent will be engineer related, according to Lt. Col. John Waite, the chief of Medical Operations and Exercises for 13th AF and a native of Sayre, Pa.

"We will partner with local Vietnamese healthcare professionals," said Colonel Waite. "The primary benefactors will be the people in the region."

Colonel Waite briefed Vietnamese General Khue that U.S. medics will be providing dental care for the local people during the Pacific Angel. The services include cleanings, extractions and cavity fillings. He also added that the medics will exchange their knowledge and training with the local Vietnamese healthcare providers.

The engineers plan to renovate a multi-township health clinic, rendering services such as interior and exterior work to include painting doors, repairing fixtures and re-wiring electrical systems.

13th AF will also be conducting Guardian Angel in the Vietnam region which will encompass the use of combat rescue officers, pararescue teams and survival, evasion, rescue and escape specialists.

Guardian Angel plans were briefed by Capt. Kaden Ripingill, 613th Air and Space Operations Center combat rescue officer, who highlighted the benefits of the exercise.

General Khue appreciated the support.

"Our committee is here to promote the good relationship between the two militaries as well as the two nations," he said. "We look forward to learning more about disaster management programs used by the U.S. which will help improve our disaster relief system."