Partners In Sight

Eduardo Barrera feeds his chickens with his grandchildren, Feb. 7, 2017, after having an extracapsular cataract extraction with intraocular implant surgery the day before at the Centro Hospitalario Luis "Chicho" Fabrega, during a medical readiness training exercise in Santiago, Panama. A U.S. military medical team was in Panama to help treat individuals with cataracts that otherwise would have gone untreated. Medical readiness training exercises provide U.S. military personnel training in delivery of medical care in austere conditions, promote diplomatic relations between the U.S. and host nations in Central America and provide humanitarian and civic assistance via a long-term proactive program. These exercises bring together key members of the U.S. and foreign militaries, U.S. Embassy country teams, non-governmental organizations, host nation government agencies and local civilian organizations. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Brian Ferguson)