Dominican Republic medical exercise cut short by protests

A portion of the Dominican Republic Medical Readiness Training Exercise personnel walk towards an awaiting U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter, April 28, for transportation past protests, unrelated to the MEDRETE, in towns along the travel route to the final clinic site in Arenoso and billeting in San Francisco de Macorís Arenoso, Dominican Republic, during the largest Maxwell Air Force Base-planned U.S. Air Force Medical Readiness Training Exercise (MEDRETE) to date. A group of 45 medics, translators, security and support personnel derived from the U.S. Air Force, Army and Marines provided dental, dermatologic, general medicine, optometric, pediatric, pharmacy and public health services. The medics treated 8,602 patients at three locations during the eight days of the U.S. SOUTHCOM sponsored Beyond the Horizon 2009 – Caribbean. A MEDRETE is a U. S. Southern command-sponsored exercise designed to provide humanitarian assistance and free medical care to the people of the host nation, while providing an unparalleled training opportunity for U.S. and host nation forces. SOUTHCOM sponsors approximately 70 MEDRETEs per year. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Capt. Ben Sakrisson)