Bringing Medical Care to Above the Arctic Circle

By Air Force Staff Sgt. Jessica Switzer

Members of the joint forces that supported Operation Arctic Care 2010 exit a C-130 Hercules in Kotzebue, Alaska. The service members provided medical care to more than 3,000 patients over a two week period. (Photo by Air Force Senior Airman Christopher Griffin)

KOTZEBUE, Alaska - The son of a Placer County couple braved the bitter cold and high winds of the past winter's last rages to bring medical care to Alaskans living above the Arctic Circle.

Air Force Reserve Maj. (Dr.) Michael J. Dailey, son of Charles and Carolyn Dailey of Granite Bay in Placer County, is a dentist with the 940th Aerospace Medical Flight at Beale Air Force Base in California. He recently offered his expertise in support of Operation Arctic Care 2010.

"As a dentist, my duties are to diagnose and treat dental problems. I do this by screening the kids in the schools to find the ones who have immediate dental needs, as well as treating adults who have signed up for an appointment," said Dailey, a 1988 graduate of Lincoln High School. He went on to receive his Doctorate of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Southern California in 2001.

During Operation Arctic Care medical, dental and veterinary teams from the Air Force, Army and Navy - national guard, reserve and active-duty - provided no-cost medical care to Alaskans living in remote villages who rarely get the chance to see a medical doctor. This was the 16th year Operation Arctic Care was held in Alaska as part of the Department of Defense Innovative Readiness Training Program and the first time Air Force Reserve Command had the lead.

"Arctic Care is important because these villages do not have access to regular dental care services and many of these people have been living with pain from bad teeth until we can get here to help them," said Dailey.

Dailey and the other members participating in Operation Arctic Care worked hard to make sure care got to everyone in the villages around Kotzebue. During the operation, the teams saw more than 1,675 medical patients, treated approximately 1,400 dental patients, created and distributed more than 900 pairs of glasses, and vaccinated more than 730 dogs.

Residents of those villages made sure to show the teams their appreciation. Often, local communities held dinners and lunches for the service members, serving up local flavors including caribou stew, muktuk (whale blubber) and sheefish. They also demonstrated several sports activities that originally developed as survival techniques over centuries in the harsh arctic climate, as well as a number of native dances.

"My favorite part of being here is talking with the local residents and learning about their culture. It is amazing to learn how people live here where it is so different from what I am used to," said Dailey.

Alaska is a cold, frigid place, but its people are warm and welcoming. Dailey and the other participants in Operation Arctic Care experienced a side of the state few are privileged to see and it will certainly be a memory they treasure.