BAGRAM, Afghanistan, April 2, 2004 — Medical Task Force-44 soldiers said good-bye to their coalition partners-in-medicine during a celebration at the Egyptian Forces compound Mar. 23.

The gathering gave soldiers the opportunity to end their 10-month tour in Afghanistan with friends and offered the Egyptian and Korean medical troops the chance to meet the incoming American soldiers who are replacing Task Force-44 troops.

Task Force-44 is being replaced by the Army Reserve’s 325th Field Hospital out of Independance, Mo.

“This is a good thing that we do to make a good bond between us,” said an Egyptian spokesman about the celebration. “When people get together from different nationalities, there’s an environment of friendship that will spread all over them. All these factors can spread peace and freedom around the world.”

The focus of the celebration was friendship, recalling memories and building the foundation for a successful working environment with the incoming troops.

The conversations among the group were an expression of the unique friendship the three countries possess and the non-stop snapping of camera shutters made this a moment none would forget.

“Tonight was the Egyptian’s way showing us that they appreciated friendship,” said Lt. Col. Richard Haile, hospital commander, Task Force-44. “It’s been a great relationship all around.”

Separately, the three nations’ troops administer medical care to local nationals and coalition troops, but they discovered that working together was more productive and more fun.

“There are a lot of benefits,” said an Egyptian spokesman, referring to the interaction between the Bagram hospitals.

“The exchange of expertise between the three hospitals allows (us) to (do) good work for the local nationals here and this allows us to find cures for the critical cases and most of the emergency cases we find daily,” he added.

Medical providers from the hospitals shared knowledge, experience and staff members. All of this offered providers

different views on possible treatments and various sources to turn to when they needed help.

“(Working together) helped us focus on the needs for delivering health care in this country,” said Haile. “It’s given us a different view of what health care delivery is like in Egypt and Korea, and (it) has fostered a professional relationship between the doctors.”

Providing extended care for patients is one example when the Egyptian medical forces pulled through for Task Force-44 soldiers, said Haile.

But the list of benefits from working together doesn’t stop there.

“(The Egyptians) help us with mass casualty situations, (and) they help us with treating patients that show up at the front gate,” he said. “There’s been an interchange of knowledge back and forth - It’s just a tremendous relationship that we have.”

The relationship between the three coalition hospitals has proven so successful that all involved said they wanted the bond to continue even as rotations come and go.

“This (relationship) will extend with the next mission here and I (hope that) these bonds will also fortify with the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States for the sake of spreading freedom, prosperity and peace,” said an Egyptian spokesman. “When we unite together, we can fight terrorism.”