Laughlin NCO deploys on humanitarian mission

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Blake Mize
  • 47th Flying Training Wing public affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  A Laughlin dental technician recently returned from a two-week humanitarian mission to Georgetown, Guyana in South America where he provided dental care to many underprivileged individuals. 

Staff Sgt. Joseph Lee, 47th Medical Operations Squadron, was responsible for performing routine teeth cleanings, extractions of teeth and fillings while in the South American country. The "dent ready" group with whom he deployed used a school compound in Georgetown as their base of operation. 

"We were bringing in as many people as we could see in a day through the gate and providing all types of care," said Sergeant Lee. 

Sergeant Lee, who was also responsible for taking impressions for false teeth, administrative paper work and getting patients in-processed, said the mission consisted of more than just dental care for the people of Guyana. 

Other military services were there to build schools in the area and provide medical care and optometry exams, said Sergeant Lee. 

The most memorable part of Sergeant Lee's duty while deployed came when a young girl was about to receive anesthetics in order to get a tooth pulled, but panicked at the last moment. Desperate to get the proper care for her daughter, the girl's mother took action. 

"Her mom was crying, pleading with the doc, 'Please let her try one more time,'" said Sergeant Lee. 

The doctor agreed and after a conversation with her mother, the girl gave it another try and the dental team was able to easily complete her treatment. 

Sergeant Lee, who was on his first deployment and out of the U.S. for the first time, said the mission was successful. 

"It felt more rewarding because the people were a lot more appreciative," said Sergeant Lee. "The care that we provided was the same as we would in the states, but I guess because the people don't have the benefits that we do in the military or here in the U.S., they see it as the biggest help in the world." 

Sergeant Lee also noted the people of Guyana's commitment to receiving the care that was being provided. He said people would begin lining up at the gate as the compound closed around 5 p.m. for the next day's round of treatment, which began each day at 7 a.m. 

"It made you want to work a little bit harder to get things done," said Sergeant Lee. "We did work hard, but the people there treated us right so it was real rewarding."