“This is an amazing experience for our team because they’re seeing injuries, wounds, diseases that they’ve only read about in books,” said Lt. Col. Homas. A Division Surgeon for the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, he said, “We almost never see many of these problems back home.” BRAVA missions in Cambodia will continue, with PACAF leading the next deployment, scheduled for May 2004 in Kep.
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| In Stung Treng Province, Brig. Gen. Stephen J. Redmann, USAF, then commander of the organization responsible for recovering the war remains of U.S. soldiers; Cambodian Police and Interpol Director Brig. Gen. Kim Chan Nee; and U.S. Ambassador Ray observe field recovery operations for remains of U.S. military personnel killed during the war with Vietnam. |
Other medical support provided includes over $560,000 worth of treated mosquito nets. Malaria and dengue fever, two serious mosquito-borne diseases, are endemic in rural Cambodia. Most of the nets went directly to the Cambodia National Malaria Center and various government-sponsored NGOs, without passing through intermediate government agencies, thus speeding the transfer of these mosquito nets to the people. The Cambodian government recognizes that this is the most expedient and effective way to get these much needed nets to those living in remote rural areas in a timely manner.
Military Engineer Development
Most assistance for bridge and school construction involves architectural support and contract funding, through a Cambodian civilian construction and engineering company that provides construction equipment and manpower. In 2003, USPACOM funded the construction of a 44-meter bridge — Chamnoam Bridge project — that replaced a 30-year old wooden bridge in serious decay.
Besides upgrading access and transportation in Banteay Meanchey Province, a former Khmer Rouge stronghold, the new bridge ensures that provincial HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis medical programs, initiated and supported by the U.S. Center for Disease Control, continue to reach a large but isolated rural community that benefits greatly from this program.
At the bridge dedication ceremony, Prime Minister Hun Sen thanked the U.S. for its assistance: “If one person passes the bridge one time, it means the U.S. gives us money for one time, but if one person passes it one hundred times, it means the U.S. gives us money for one hundred times. This is the real value of humanitarian assistance. For rice assistance, we can live for a short time, but for bridges like this, we can use it for a hundred years.”
Ambassador Ray noted, “The United States Government is proud to sponsor the Chamnoam Bridge project. . . . It is an important element in the American government’s cooperative efforts with the Royal Government of Cambodian and the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces in creating a better infrastructure for Cambodia to ensure continued development and better living conditions. Together, we have made tremendous strides, and while there is still more work to be done, the Chamnoam Bridge is but one example of the fruits of our efforts.”
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| U.S. Army Col. Steven Rundle, Defense Attaché to Cambodia, inspects landmine clearance operations in Siem Reap Province conducted by HALO Trust, a non-government organization involved in demining. |
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