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- 1. History IA 360° Lt.jg. Vincent “Doc” Lopez S t o r y b y A i r F o r ce 2n d L i e u te na n t M a r k L a z a n e P h o t o s b y A i r F o r ce M a s te r S e r g e a n t D e m e t r iu s L e s te r P rovincial reconstruction teams (PRTs) were created by the United States and coalition Operation Desert Shield: forces in 2003. Since then, these teams have made significant progress toward stabilization Severing the Supply Line to Iraq efforts in Afghanistan, focusing on developing health care, furthering the country’s infrastruc- S t o r y b y M C 2 (S W ) E l i z a b e t h V l a h o s ture, promoting an agricultural economy and ensuring local government processes function. W hen Iraq invaded Kuwait, Aug. 2, 1990, USS Robert G. Bradley (FFG 49) was patrolling the Persian Gulf about 50 miles off of Kuwait, then-Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney traveled to Saudi Arabia to discuss the use of Saudi airstrips and naval installations as staging bases. U.S. ships vigilantly scanned the horizon for merchant vessels The mission of PRT Paktika entails assisting the stabilization and security of Paktika province, a large province on Afghanistan’s eastern border near the Pakistan tribal areas. Lt.jg. Vincent “Doc” Lopez currently serves with PRT Paktika as the team’s lead medical transiting the shipping lanes. Their mission was to stop the oil from officer, and liaison to residents of Paktika province. the coast of Kuwait when the alarm sounded. flowing through Middle Eastern waters into Iraq. Battle group and “The mission is difficult at times and there are definitely ob- “We heard pleas for help from Kuwait over the bridge-to-bridge destroyer squadron commanders in the Red and North Arabian stacles to overcome” said Lopez, a physician assistant from Phoenix. “I wanted to be a Navy officer,” said Lopez. “I wanted to come radio over and over again,” said Lt.j.g. Ted Anderson, Bradley’s Seas controlled the operations directly as thousands of merchant “But with help from the dedicated Afghan people, little by little, we to Afghanistan. I knew I’d deploy. That’s why I signed up – I knew combat systems officer. “It made us realize just how real it was.” vessels were tracked, challenged, identified, warned, then – if found can provide them with stability and improve their quality of life.” there were people I’d be able to help and I wanted to help them.” The first message about the Iraqi invasion propelled Bradley to be in violation of sanction guidelines – boarded and diverted. Lopez added that while his daily tasking includes a variety of In Paktika province, medical facilities and equipment are into general quarters. All Sailors manned their battle stations to Warships averaged 10 challenges a day in a process that intensi- administrative and other crucial jobs, direct interaction with the scarce and Afghan citizens don’t have guaranteed medical care. But guard against possible airborne and waterborne attacks. fied following the approval of military force to ensure merchant people of PRT Paktika takes the lion’s share of his mission. with more than three years of experience with Level-I trauma care, Along with the shelling barrage into Kuwait, Iraqi forces vessels complied with the sanctions. “I spend a lot of my time meeting and mentoring the Afghani- and having worked at several clinics prior to his current assign- threatened Saudi Arabia by positioning themselves near one of the Even though the United States cut off oil and supplies to the stan public health leadership team,” he said. “I have meetings ment, Lopez’ experience and expertise in difficult situations reflects principal invasion routes. This prompted Saudi Arabia to ask the Iraqis, they needed the same things themselves to maintain readi- with them about once a week on average. These meetings usually directly in his ability to work within and guide a team. United States for assistance in the form of military presence. Then- ness on station. A solid foundation of maritime strategic planning consist of discussions about provincial public health care needs. “Measuring success can be difficult here,” he said. “I measure my President George H.W. Bush responded by authorizing Operation and sealift pre-positioning enabled the United States to dispatch We also discuss issues regarding malnutrition, clean water, medical success directly from comments from my troops and my medical Desert Shield. Within 48 hours of the initial invasion, Military the MSC ships to the Middle East with the necessary supplies and training, clinic construction and midwife programs. I visit the providers around the province. If they feel more capable of per- Sealift Command (MSC) ships steamed out of Guam, Saipan and equipment. The sealift for Desert Shield became, with no prior provincial clinics and meet the local medical staff as part of our forming their job, then I know I’m doing my mine correctly.” Diego Garcia toward the Middle East with the necessary supplies buildup - the largest and fastest sealift to a single operating area in PRT mission. One of the main purposes is to serve as a liaison to and equipment for U.S. forces. the history of warfare to date, as well as the farthest. The average the director of public health as he is unable to visit some of these Lazane and Lester are assigned to Paktika Provincial On Aug. 3, Bush asked world leaders to support a collective voyage covered nearly 8,700 miles. clinics due to the imminent danger.” Reconstruction Team, Afghanistan. course of diplomatic and economic sanctions banning all imports During the 1980s, the Navy invested more than $7 billion on Lopez and the PRT Paktika medical team also operate a daily from Iraq, as well as freezing Iraqi assets in the United States. the sealift improvement effort to provide maximum transport sick call and remain prepared as first-responders to insurgent at- The U.N. Security Council passed Resolution 661, authorizing capability and medical support with minimum delay. Thanks to the tacks or improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that might happen multinational naval vessels to begin enforcing the sanctions Navy’s foresight the sealift capability afforded allied naval forces any day. against Iraq. The next day, USS Independence (CV 62) and her the ability to implement and sustain the sanctions immediately Lopez could have stayed a civilian physician’s assistant but felt eight-ship battle group pulled away from a routine deployment in after they were imposed. By severing Saddam Hussein’s economic compelled – again – to serve in the Navy. Initially joining in 1991, the Indian Ocean and headed for the North Arabian Sea to support lifeline and cutting off Iraqi troops from the equipment and supplies Lopez spent five years as an active-duty hospital corpsman, earning U.S. and allied efforts. they needed, the U.S. ships’ proximity to the theater of operations Field Medical Service School (FMSS) qualification at Camp LeJeune, By Aug. 6, the USS Saratoga (CV 60) Carrier Battle Group and allowed Marines to begin offloading their supplies in Saudi Arabia N.C. He subsequently accepted an honorable discharge, but pur- USS Wisconsin (BB 64) departed Norfolk on a regularly scheduled less than two weeks after the invasion of Kuwait. sued further medical training, eventually becoming a physician’s 6th Fleet deployment, putting them closer to the center of the ac- assistant through a program at Stanford University, Stanford, Calif. tion. The next day, Aug. 7, less than a week after the Iraqi invasion Vlahos is assigned to Defense Media Activity Lopez returned to an active duty status in 2008, and sought out – Anacostia, Washington, D.C. the PRT Paktika Global War on Terrorism support assignment. 40 A L L H A N D S | A U G U S T 2 0 1 0 w w w . n a v y . m i l 41