On Thursday, May 19, 2022, the United States Southern Command Joint Task Force – Bravo (JTF-Bravo) medical team and the Tradewinds 2022 medical team concluded a three-day medical outreach in the Orange Walk District. The team of U.S. medical professionals partnered with local non- governmental organizations to provide preventative medicine courses, pediatrics, optometry, and dental services to over 879 residents in the Carmelita and Santa Marta villages on May 17 – 19.
“Public outreach has been a big focus of Tradewinds this year,” noted Chief Petty Officer Kerstin Dickerson, Chief Operations Coordinator in the U.S. Embassy Security Cooperation Office. “Tradewinds organizers reach out to rural areas with limited medical services to let them know of the services that we will provide as part of the exercise. 
Optometry is a new medical service that has proven to be very popular in the communities in which we are working this year.” JTF-Bravo partnered with the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired, a local NGO, to bring the Carmelita community optometry care and glasses.
“With the expanded resources of Tradewinds and working with our local NGO partner, JTF-Bravo has been able to offer these types of important medical service for the first time in Belize,” Dickerson emphasized.
The medical team provided medical assistant over 879 residents on May 17 – 18 in the Carmelita Village. On May 19, the clinic moved to Santa Marta Village for final day of medical services for residents of that community.
