ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. –
During a recent weekend in April, Fleet Logistics Support Squadron Five-Three embarked on an important humanitarian mission to the Caribbean Island nation of the Dominican Republic.
A beautiful tropical destination, the Dominican Republic is home to a thriving tourist industry and extensive tobacco crop. But the island also houses some of the world's poorest people, who are often malnourished, without work, and in need of serious medical and surgical services to assist in necessary care and treatment.
Enter the brave men and women of Navy Squadron VR-53, headquartered at the Naval Air Facility-Washington, D.C., at Andrews.
VR-53 and the United States military are now involved in providing support to the important work of "Operation Smile" by transporting equipment, materials, and skilled personnel to places not currently served by the operation's civilian participants.
Recently, VR-53 provided support to the operation by providing transportation to 14 medical personnel, including plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, operating room nurses, medical technicians, as well as logisticians and operations staff. The squadron also air-lifted thousands of pounds of equipment in 55 medical chests, including an entire operating room and its delicate instruments.
Operation Smile was originally a civilian nonprofit organization founded by Dr. William Magee in 1982. It operates in more than 25 countries with offices worldwide. The organization has treated more than 100,000 children and young adults with both congenital and accidental defects in the hard and soft pallets of their mouths. The work performed by Operation Smile doctors allows children from developing nations to receive surgery that will give them a normal life -- free from disfigurement and pain.
VR-53 will help more than 150 children by assisting with the logistics of this massive philanthropic effort. Utilizing more personnel and equipment than their Operation Smile civilian counterparts, the VR-53 effort is gaining wide attention in the Dominican Republic as well as in diplomatic and medical circles around the globe. It is a reputation well deserved by American military medical personnel, as well as the men and women of VR-53.
"This is an Army and Navy joint sponsored mission to promote inter-country relations, provide humanitarian assistance, and increase military readiness for deployment," said Army Lt. Col. Raymond Harshburger, the mission commander and a skilled plastic surgeon.
VR-53's Navy flight surgeon, Capt. Chris Patton added, "Joint medical missions such as this offer a great opportunity to impact people's lives and spread goodwill."
As a Selected Reservist assisted squadron, VR-53 is used for difficult missions and tasks of all kinds, utilizing the vast depth of experience held by officers and sailors attached to the squadron.
"It is personally rewarding for medical officers like me to develop skills, as well as the patients and aircrew," said Captain Patton.
Likening this effort to the tremendous humanitarian relief efforts in Indonesia conducted by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, hospital ship USNS Comfort, and other naval personnel after the tsunami devastation in 2005, Aircraft Commander Navy Lt. Cmdr. Chris Guffey was energized by the professional challenge of conducting such a large transport. He said he was personally rewarded by participating in a mission that touched so many lives for the better.
"Missions like this are why I joined the Navy Reserve," Lieutenant Commander Guffey said. "For every kid we make smile, that is another friend for America. Everyone wins."
VR-53 also provides medical lift transportation to naval and joint forces worldwide. They maintain and fly four Lockheed C-130T Hercules aircraft. Originally commissioned in June 1972 at Naval Air Station-Dallas, Texas, the squadron was eventually moved to Washington, D.C. in October of 1993. The squadron plays a critical role in the Navy's global logistics network and supports overseas presidential trips, theater commands worldwide, and deployed naval forces.
VR-53 flew 2,425 mishap free flight hours in 2006 while transporting 3,150 passengers and 2.1 million pounds of cargo. It also gained an incredible 92 percent mission completion rate. It is additionally proud that it returned 202 sailors, soldiers, airmen, and marines injured overseas in the Global War on Terror back to the United States.
Known as the "Capital Express," VR-53 has a proven record of ready, reliable, enthusiastic service in support of America.