86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (USAFENS) -- Eighteen Iraqi children are now receiving long-awaited medical care from the state of Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, thanks to the help of the U. S. Air Force.

The children, ages 6 months to 16 years old, arrived here Oct. 6 on a McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., C-141 Starlifter out of Baghdad International Airport. 

Most of the children suffer from congenital, acquired or traumatic conditions; two of them have injuries resulting from the armed conflict.  The Air Force provided transportation to the children and their attendants free of charge.

Col. Frederick Gerber, chief of operations for the coalition provisional authority ministry of health, said there is a well-established program in Iraq for families and children who need healthcare.  Patients are evaluated on a daily basis and most of them can be cared for within Iraqi hospitals.

“There are only very special cases that a country like Iraq might have to evacuate a patient for,” said Gerber.  “There is a three to five day process where it’s decided whether the patient can be treated inside Iraq or go on a waiting list to be treated outside of the country.”

These children were identified and clinically evaluated as requiring specialized medical treatment outside of Iraq.

“Germany made an offer of $500,000 worth of healthcare,” said Gerber.  “All we (the Air Force) needed to do was get them here.”

Gerber said the families of the children are very grateful.  “For three weeks now, they have been fasting -- praying.”

“It was a very successful operation and we couldn’t have done it without the Air Force,” said Gerber.  “At the worker level -- the airmen, crewchiefs, loadmasters and terminal operators were just outstanding.  They really made it happen.”

Brig. Gen. Erwin F. Lessel III, 86th Airlift Wing commander, greeted the Iraqi families.

“We know you’ll receive excellent medical care here in Germany, and once your treatment is complete, we can provide assistance with getting you back home to your families in Iraq,” said Lessel.

For many years now, the United States has been highly committed to humanitarian assistance throughout the world, said Lessel.

“We are grateful that we have the opportunity to work closely with the Germans to provide assistance … to the children of Iraq,” he said.