By U.S. Army Sgt. Jennifer S. Emmons
17th Public Affairs Detachment

PAKTIKA PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Nov. 1, 2004 — Men of Paktika province gathered early in the morning to watch the soldiers unload trucks. They eagerly and patiently waited in line to see the medical professionals who came to this remote region in southeastern Afghanistan to offer medical care.

"We're out here on a cooperative medical assistance to try and provide some health care to the local nationals around (Forward Operating Site) Carlson," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Darnell Blackmon, an orthopedic surgeon serving with Task Force 325th Combat Support Hospital. "These people really have no access to healthcare. This also lets them know we care about them on a personal level. We are here in their country trying to complete our mission. We like to provide them some services while we are here."

The work of the soldiers around Forward Operating Site Carlson has built a strong bond between the community members and Coalition forces, and has caused the community to open up to the troops.

"We do this because we are trying to become one with the community - to let them know that we are here to do good and see that they benefit," said 1st Lt. Lisa Dailey, 367th Engineer Battalion physician assistant.

This sort of assistance is beneficial to Coalition forces in the area, according to Capt. Tamara Smith, 96th Civil Affairs Battalion team leader. The work the military personnel in the area have done has built some solid relationships.

To further these relationships, there are ongoing projects, like the cooperative medical assistance missions, to continue to provide for all the people of the country, including women and children.

Culturally, the Afghan women can only be seen by female providers, said Dailey.

Female medical care providers came to the assistance mission from different hospitals around the country to accommodate these cultural sensitivities.

"This is the second CMA we've done in this region," said Smith. "The first one didn't have many women. Now we have female medical assets and there have been many more females coming."

Some soldiers said they hope that allowing local Afghans to see how men and women of the U.S. forces work together can help create notions of greater gender equality in their culture.

"I think the female (healthcare professionals) being here brings the female locals in and lets them see the equality between men and women," said 1st Lt. Leslie Cooper, a nurse assigned to the 325th Combat Support Hospital. "It lets them see us as strong women and see that we are respected as women and we are treated as equals. I like feeling that maybe we have shown the women that you can come out here, it's not just for the men, that you are just as important, just as valued."

The positive effects of working closely with the community should help future generations of Afghans, according to Cooper.

"For the children to see women working and see that you can be educated, you can go places, you can do things, see things, meet new people. It opens up a whole new world to them," Cooper said.

This cooperative medical assistance mission is just part of the civil affairs work in the region. Providing this type of care to the population assists with the overall mission in the area.

"It helps tremendously," said Blackmon. "The soldiers who have established this unit have done a tremendous job in a short period of time."

"It lets them know we're not here today, gone tomorrow," said Cooper. "It's a continuing theme day after day, week after week. The people who are working in this area are going to stay here."

By bringing medical care to the people, the Soldiers are creating a lasting bond with them.

"It goes back to the fact that we are doing what we can to help the people here," said Smith. "And they do what they can to help us.