MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- Two Airmen from the 931st Force Support Squadron and three Airmen from the 931st Aerospace Medicine Squadron recently journeyed from the plains of McConnell to Linden, Guyana, to assist with Exercise New Horizons 2019.
Beginning last May, the Exercise New Horizons 2019 concluded at the end of last month. It provided U.S. military members an opportunity to train for an overseas deployment and the logistical requirements it would entail. As in the past, the exercise promoted bilateral cooperation by providing opportunities for U.S. and partner nation military engineers, medical personnel and support staff to work and train side by side.
Staff Sgt. Camillia Muncheberg, 931 AMDS Flight and Operational Medical technician, volunteered for the medical readiness training portion of the exercise.
“[While there] we supported a two-week long Medrete mission, giving free healthcare to the community,” she said. “They treated more than 9,500 Guyanes patients in 12 days.”
In addition to medical operations, Muncheberg and other 931st Airmen also assisted Army and Air Force engineers in building new structures for the local community.
Senior Airman Thomas Turner, 931 FSS Services journeyman, helped build one of the community centers
“The experience of seeing how others from another country live, that was definitely the most interesting part of the exercise,” he said.
Muncheberg agreed.
“I just love to be a part of anything I can get my hands on, travelling to places I have never been, and helping a diverse group of people who I have never had the pleasure of helping,” she said.
Exercise New Horizons is not new to Guyana. In the last 20 years, U.S. service members have participated in the exercise under U.S. Southern Command and 12th Air Force, three times. The structures completed during previous iterations are still being used today.