A hospital corpsman with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade teaches a Marine how to insert a needle into a vein as part of a Combat Lifesaver Course here March 24. Marines gain this knowledge so they can support corpsmen in the field in need of assistance. Photo by Cpl. Aaron Rooks

Combating insurgency in Afghanistan is not the only challenge awaiting the Marines and sailors of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade.

In addition to enemy combatants, Marines deploying to Afghanistan’s Regional Command-South will also face a number of potential health threats.

The Central Asian country has been labeled by the World Health Organization as one of the least developed countries in the world, with 70 percent of the population living in extreme poverty and health vulnerability.

Several food-, water-, animal-, and vector-borne diseases are found commonly throughout the country. The most common of all, according to Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health, is malaria.

More than half of the country’s population, especially women and children, are vulnerable to malaria, according to an April 2008 report from the Integrated Regional Information Networks, the humanitarian news and analysis service of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The Ministry of Public Health and WHO estimated that up to 1.5 million cases of malaria occur each year throughout Afghanistan, most of which go untreated.

The 2nd MEB Health Services Support Section identified malaria, bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, rabies, typhoid and paratyphoid fever as the diseases of highest risk in Regional Command-South. The medical staff has also identified tuberculosis, hepatitis E, sand fly fever, typhus, leishmaniasis, west nile fever and anthrax as some of the intermediate risks present in the Marines’ future area of operations.

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew Siruchek, a hospital corpsman with 2nd MEB, said preventive medicine is key for Marines and sailors deploying to the region.

The Walden, N.Y., native, who deployed to Afghanistan with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit from March to October 2008, said malaria was their largest concern.

“Preventive treatment and education made the difference,” he said. “We always preached to them to take their medications once a week and they would be covered.”

Medication includes Mefloquine, a treatment used to combat malaria, which is transmitted primarily by mosquitoes.

The HSSS is taking these precautions and others. Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Dittlinger, medical operations chief for the HSSS, said her team of corpsmen and Navy doctors has worked diligently since February to ensure the brigade is medically ready.

The Weirsdale, Fla., native said they have sprayed uniforms and sleeping systems to deter disease-carrying insects, ordered the necessary medications and conducted health, dental and neurological assessments. They have also performed vaccinations to prevent diseases such as yellow fever, anthrax, smallpox, hepatitis A, typhoid and measles.

But Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jose Gonzalezramos, a hospital corpsman and preventive medicine technician for the brigade, said there’s no preventive medicine offered for Marines to combat some of the diseases found in Afghanistan.

The Maunavo, Puerto Rico native said education plays the largest role in combating these diseases and other medical conditions overseas.

“If Marines listen to what we recommend to them, they will be healthier,” he said. “If there is a shot that can prevent you from contracting diseases, why not get it? If you know a water source is contaminated, why go near it? If Marines or sailors contract any of these diseases, they will be taken out of the fight temporarily or permanently.”

The HSSS team members said they are prepared in case anyone contracts one of the many diseases in the country, which the brigade medical planner, Navy Lt. Diana Loffgren, said is possible. She said there are currently several confirmed cases of malaria in troops serving in Afghanistan, but noted that none of these cases involve U.S. service members.

Despite the threats, the MEB medical personnel remain confident in the deployment being a success.

“I’m 100 percent confident in the corpsmen and doctors who will be taking care of the brigade’s medical issues, whether they are combat casualties or diseases,” Dittlinger said.

USMC
by Cpl. Aaron Rooks

Marines, sailors and families of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade's Command Element gather here March 19 for pre-deployment briefs. The brigade, also known as Task Force Leatherneck, is scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan later this spring to conduct counterinsurgency operations and train Afghan National Security Forces., Photo by Cpl. Aaron Rooks

The Marines, sailors and families of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade’s Command Element gathered here March 19 and 20 for pre-deployment briefs.

The brigade, also known as Task Force Leatherneck, is scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan later this spring to conduct counterinsurgency operations.

The command held the briefs to inform the service members and their families of what lies ahead for them in their ensuing journey. Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson, 2nd MEB commanding general, said the Marines and sailors will be deploying to a region of Afghanistan that is both dangerous and austere.

“It’s not the garden spot of the world,” Nicholson said. “It’s a tough neighborhood.”

The Command Element and Brigade Headquarters Group’s Family Readiness Team was introduced at the beginning of each brief as the individuals who will help guide the families through the deployment. The team provided informative materials to the service members and their families.

Nancy Wike, the BHG family readiness officer, said the readiness team has “grown by lengths and bounds and continues to get better.”

“The families have a single person to dispense information, which ensures information gets out to everyone,” Wike said. “They have a single person for the resources and knowledge they need to know.”

Wike said the resources and knowledge available to single and married service members facing deployment are both plentiful and vital. She described legal, financial, vehicle, and interpersonal-communication matters as some of the issues that can make or break a deployment because the service members can’t focus on their tasks-at-hand if their minds are elsewhere.

Looking back on the past 10 months of effort from her team, Wike said the families will be as prepared as possible.

This all falls in line with commandant of the Marine Corps’ vision in his 2006 Planning Guidance, where he called for an improvement in the Corps’s family readiness program.

Family members like Jackie, wife of a BHG Marine, is happy with how far the Corps has come and where it’s going with regard to family readiness.

“I believe the program is extremely helpful, because through it we learn their mission, purpose and what they will face,” said the 26-year-old third grade teacher as she held back tears. “It gives us expectations of what they will be going through and what we can expect here at home.”

Dustin, Jackie’s husband and the father of their 11-month-old daughter, remains calm at heart knowing that his family will be safe and cared for while he’s gone. He realizes the MEB’s destination in Afghanistan lacks ready accessible access to Internet, phones and other forms of communication that can be found in Iraq, where he deployed from 2006 to 2007. Because of this, he feels families need the support the readiness team can offer.

The Lincoln, Neb., native said he feels family readiness is the most important aspect of deployment. He said there’s no way Marines and sailors can deploy and be as successful accomplishing their mission if their families are not ready.

“They won’t have peace of mind,” he said. “They need that confidence of knowing their loved ones are OK.”

Marine veterans agree. Chief Warrant Officer 5 Wayne Porowski, an engineer equipment officer with the Command Element, has seen Marine Corps family readiness evolve over 27 years of service and seven deployments.

The Tampa, Fla., native said the Marine Corps is a more effective force now that family readiness is emphasized. He’s confident the efforts of Marines and sailors during their pending deployment will show truth to that statement.

“They will have less to worry about back home, so they will be effective,” Porowski said.

Nicholson said family members can expect to hear from him often in regards to how Marines and sailors are through mediums like newsletters and Web site information. His final words before ending the event were simple: “Nobody deploys by themselves and no family gets left behind.”

USMC
By Cpl. Aaron Rooks, 2nd MEB