TR 2011 Leadership Conference at Loyola Marymount University
Day 1 - Casual
Day 3 - Suits
Disaster Relief Organization & Support Squad | Team Rubicon
TR’s East Coast Team Hits the Hard Ball for Tunnels to Towers
Led by East Coast Coordinator Matt Pelak, TR took to the hard ball in NYC's 2011 Tunnels to Towers Run. On September 11th, firefighter Stephen Siller had just gotten off the late shift at Squad 1, Park Slope, Brooklyn. He was on his way to play golf with his brothers on that bright clear day when his scanner told of the first plane hitting the Twin Towers. When he heard the news, he called his wife Sally to tell her he would be late because he had to help those in need. He returned to Squad 1 to get his gear, then took his final heroic steps to the World Trade Center. When Stephen drove his truck to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, it was already closed to traffic. With sixty pounds of gear strapped to his back, he ran through the Tunnel, hoping to meet up with his own company, Squad 1. Read more at Tunnels to Towers.
Mission Karen-Shan – Shan Training Week – Post 3
We arrived at Mae Salong in the Northwest region of Thailand after a 3-hour truck ride riddled with fog. This would be the rendezvous point with our Free Burma Ranger (FBR)/Shan guides. Since 1997, FBR has trained over 110 multi-ethnic relief teams. There are 48 full time teams active in the Karen, Karenni, Shan, Pa’O, Arakan, Kachin, Chin and Lahu areas of Burma. The FBR teams have conducted over 350 humanitarian missions into the war zones of Burma. On average between 1,000-2,000 patients are treated per mission with 2,000 more people given non-medical assistance. To learn more about FBR click here.
In Mae Salong, we met up with Larry, an FBR coordinator and US Army veteran. Larry explained that the road leading to Shan State was, “one of the worst roads” he’d ever seen. “It runs straight-up through thick clay mud, and when it rains it can be impassible” he said. It had been raining for the previous three days. We transferred our gear into another Toyota HiLux and hit the road again. After an hour we crossed the first Thai Border checkpoint. From there the road degraded from pavement, to dirt, and then to mud.
On the outskirts of a remote village we pulled over to address a new problem. Two small Shan men began installing chains on the rear tires. The pickup led the way through thick clay mud. We followed, hiking up a steep rutted road, providing muscle assistance when needed.
After an intense 10-mile/4-hour trek past three more checkpoints – and numerous times getting stuck in the viscous mud – we reached the Shan State’s village of Loi Tai Leng. This was our final destination, where we would spend the next 5 days teaching trauma and tropical medicine to a class of 51 student medics.
Loi Tai Leng rests on a plateau peak at 4000 feet above sea level. The village is butted against the Thai border, with one side of the main street residing in Thailand and the other in Burma. It had a much more permanent feel than the Karen camps, with many structures made out of concrete, a handful of general stores, and a hydraulic generator providing power to the army and government buildings. The climate in the Shan State is also different from the Karen region. Fog rolls in and out of the valleys, peaking during the monsoon season.
Our arrival was met with school letting out for the day. We walked the last 600 yards to the medical clinic. Greeting students along the way, we exchanged bows with our hands locked in prayer position. We spent our first night sorting through gear and prepping for four more days of intense training.
Jason led the first day’s lecture reviewing topics on battlefield medicine, including landmine and gunshot trauma. Jason works fulltime for an organization that provides customized operational medical training throughout the world. Having served in the U.S. Army as a medic, Jason carries a calm confidence when leading a class. Working with a translator he covered complex topics as the students took notes in both English and Shan. The engagement and patience that the students demonstrated was astounding.
Our students ranged in age from 16-29 years old. Most lived in local dormitories, spending anywhere from 6 months to 2 years going to school and learning medicine. Many have roots in villages spread throughout Burma and will be traveling back to these villages after graduation to share their knowledge.
Andrew Stevens, a former Marine who currently serves as an emergency manager for the state of Alaska, visited classrooms at the main school, teaching disaster mitigation.
In March of this year, a 6.8 earthquake struck this region, damaging many buildings and resulting in 74 deaths. In 2008, Burma was hit with cyclone Nargis, in which over 140,000 Burmese citizens lost their lives.
Stevens stressed the importance of proper building construction and retrofitting specific to the region. He also reviewed disaster preparedness techniques that are taught and utilized back in Alaska. The school principal promised to continue the drills and implement them as standard training and practice for the entire school.
Throughout each day of training, Jason, Zach, Doc G, and Andrew would rotate through lectures with the students.
Doc G took each medical student through a surgical equipment and surgical assisting practical application.
For more than 30 years, Doc G has dedicated himself to surgical volunteerism. He has treated and taught the “bottom billion” in Africa, Asia, the South Pacific, Central and South America. He is constantly striving to “put himself out of a job,” by indigenizing skillsets in the developing world – making them less dependent on foreign aid.
In between classes on the second day, it was brought to our attention that a 6-year old boy had recently been blinded by a failed conjunctivitis treatment. Doc G worked with a translator to understand the situation better. Six months ago the young boy was taken to a local healer for an eye irritation. The healer used a white powder to help remedy the condition, which in turn resulted in massive inflammation, and eventually end-stage opacification of both corneas. This young boy now had hyphemia – a white puss filled anterior chamber in front of the iris.
Doc G quickly recognized that he needed to be at a center for ophthalmology, and would require a complex corneal graft procedure to reverse the damage already done. With only six months before he would loose his visual memory, Doc G expressed urgency in finding care now.
After a few emails and satellite phone calls we coordinated with FBR to transport the boy to Chiang Mai. Once there, they would attempt treatment at a ophthalmology center.
Zach led the tourniquet and major trauma lectures. As a paramedic, Zach faces trauma injuries on a daily basis. The class was taught using 6 different versions of a tourniquet, some as rudimentary as a stick and webbing.
On our final day we brought the students together outdoors for a hands-on practical surgical exercise. These scenarios provide the students with the confidence they’ll need when faced with a real medical emergency.
Once the surgical training ended we headed back to the clinic to prep for the graduation ceremony. The team had mixed emotions about the upcoming night – it would be our last in Burma. We shared one final meal with our students before presenting them with their certificates of achievement. Emotion was high. Some students shed tears, while others stood stoic.
After the ceremony we headed with the students to the temple for the Buddhist full moon celebration. Families from the surrounding region came together for the event.
We ended up hiking for a solid hour before day turned to dusk. Students led us through the jungle and down muddy paths. Chanting permeated the trees and eventually there were muted orange flames in the distance. We followed the students into a newly built Buddhist Temple and knelt with them as the monk chatted over a loudspeaker.
Once the prayer ended we made our way back to the courtyard to light 20ft. tall bamboo-pine torches lining the plateau. We were in awe, events like this are once in a lifetime.
The evening’s torchlight celebration made for a fitting “post-commencement” graduation party with the students. And so ended a successful week in Loi Tai Leng.
Press Release: Team Rubicon becomes ‘Partnering Charity’ for LA Marathon
Honda LA Marathon Officials: Don’t Just Run – Run 4 Something
Brand-new charity fundraising campaign ‘I Run 4 Something’ features Edward Norton, Crowdrise and thousands of runners; online contests, prizes, celebrities and lots of fun
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Recently returned U.S. military veterans, medical professionals and top runners from the newly established African nation of South Sudan all share at least one thing in common: They’ll be at the starting line of the 2012 Honda LA Marathon, running on behalf of non-profit Team Rubicon, an organization that repurposes the skills of young military veterans for humanitarian disasters. As part of the race’s brand-new “I Run 4 Something” campaign, tens of thousands of runners will have a similar chance to raise money for their favorite charity next March.
The “I Run 4 Something” campaign empowers runners to raise crowd-sourced donations through friends, family and social networks for any qualified non-profit organization of their choice, including the Honda LA Marathon’s 70 official charities supporting critical environmental, community and health-related causes.
The first “I Run 4 Something” incentive campaign also launches today and rewards the first 50 people to raise $26 for their favorite charity with a chance to win a free LA Roadrunners membership (value $145). Ten winners will be chosen to take part in the Marathon’s official 26-week training program, which has just kicked off in three locations throughout Los Angeles. Runners can take part in this incentive through Crowdrise.com/HondaLAMarathon2012, an innovative fundraising platform that is part of the marathon’s effort to make it simple and fun for runners to raise more money than ever before.
“We’re asking every runner to run for something – anything – that matters to you,” said LA MARATHON LLC Chief Operating Officer Nick Curl. “Whether you can raise $11 or $5,000, there are so many great causes that you can support. We think if you’re passionate about what you’re running for, you’ll run faster and raise even more to help a worthy cause. The Honda LA Marathon is both a great sporting event and a tremendous community-building opportunity. Our partnership with Crowdrise makes it as easy as possible for our runners to ‘Run 4 Something’.”
Crowdrise co-founder Edward Norton will also send a video message to all marathon participants when they sign up for the March 18, 2012 race.
“The lesson is, don’t just run, run for something,” Norton said. “I’m telling you, from experience, it will give you extra motivation and make the race twice as fun.”
Already, 70 official charities have begun their outreach to thousands of participants, aided by Crowdrise, which utilizes cutting-edge ideas about crowd sourcing and combines them with the power of social networking to create a fun and captivating environment for fundraising and volunteerism. Any runner, for example, can set up a fundraising page, and reach out to a network of friends, family members and colleagues in a matter of minutes. Even those who are not running can take part – by supporting a friend who is running, or by setting up a fundraising page of their own. The goal is to make it easy for runners, volunteers and other passionate supporters to raise money for their favorite causes.
For some, that will be a charity like Team Rubicon, whose work was central to creating an ongoing peace initiative between previously warring tribes in East Africa. Among other charities taking part in the Marathon’s enhanced fundraising efforts are ThinkCure! and Team in Training, both of which raise funds for cancer research. In all, 70 official charities are partners with the race, and many more will benefit through the grassroots efforts of thousands of runners. More information about Honda LA Marathon charities and the charity program may be found at www.lamarathon.com/charities.
Celebrity participants are joining thousands of other runners in choosing their favorite cause to support in preparation for the March 18, 2012 race. Rock singer and songwriter David Cook, known for winning the seventh season of American Idol, is running for Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure, aimed at finding the fastest possible route to a cure for brain cancer.
The charity program has grown exponentially in the three years since present management took over the race. In 2009, the charity program raised just over $1.25 million. In 2010, it raised $1.95 million. For the 2011 race, the fundraising total increased to just under $3 million. And for 2012, organizers believe that runners and their networks can raise $4 million for charitable causes.
“We’ve set an ambitious goal, but we are confident that the tens of thousands of Honda LA Marathon runners are up for the challenge,” said LA MARATHON LLC Community Relations Director Ginger Williams. “After all, the only thing better than crossing the finish line in Santa Monica is crossing that line knowing that you’ve helped others, too. We hope all of our runners will take up our challenge to ‘Run 4 Something’.”
SOURCE Honda LA Marathon
Mission Karen-Shan – Karen Prosthetic Lab – Photo Journal
Landmines lay hidden on the jungle floor throughout the Karen region. As Karen soldiers perform recon missions to scout out Burmese military positions they are sometimes forced to carve new paths exposing these lethal devices. The mines used by the SPDC Army are usually industrially produced from non-perishable, waterproof materials and remain active indefinitely. Burma produces at least three types of antipersonnel mines. The MM1 and MM2 which are copies of Chinese mines, and “claymore-like” mines such as the MM3.
Tripping a landmine usually results in death or loss of a limb. Using lessons learned from Iraq and Afghanistan, one of our key topics was providing the medics with skills to quickly attend to such injuries. Visiting the prosthetic lab was a grim reminder that this threat is their reality.
Three Karen men work on a new prosthetic mold
Mine Risk Education
Old prosthetics are discarded in the corner
A new mold is prepared first using plaster of paris then a heat-treated plastic form is created
The mold is mixed, formed, then left outside to dry
Former Marine Andrews Stevens explaining how to apply a tourniquet
Firefighter/Paramedic Zach Smith and Former Marine Andrew Stevens demonstrating the ABC's
Gadou applies a tourniquet on a landmine victim
Mission Karen-Shan – Reflection by Marine Veteran Andrew Stevens
We wasted no time in beginning our training. After what seemed like an endless cycle of international travel, ever-fluctuating time zones, and “hurrying up to wait”, everyone was exited to begin. Our students arrived eager for the first day’s lesson. I could only imagine that their journeys from their own respected camps would make ours seem easy. One of the young Karen men even mentioned that he traveled for a solid week through the jungle to reach our training camp. Students from the previous year were greeted by hugs and smiles from Doc G and Zach, while the others strategically positioned themselves on the woven bamboo floor. The young Karen girls shyly grouped together while the alpha male men surrounded themselves with their friends.
We each took turns going through the fundamentals of massive traumatic bleeding and airway control, while Doc G would periodically interject footnotes from decades of experience. The students kept their attention towards us and demonstrated considerable discipline given the length of the day and the temperature of the room. Often, our voices and that of our translator were drowned out by the sudden onset of torrential rain rapping against the corrugated metal roof and the nearby stream that would bloat into rapids following the rains.
Knowing that we would soon be leaving to other IDP camps to train new student medics, I was forced to think about the harsh reality facing the new friends we would be leaving behind. Speaking with the head of KDHW, we discovered that with the newly elected Burmese government in place things are looking better for the internally displaced and refugee Karen, however the reality of returning to a homeland and beginning a new life without any resources or ability to provide for ones family is a impossible task, no matter what clemency is granted. Until drastic changes are made within Burma, and the ethnic minorities of the Karen are given the voice and rights they deserve, our newfound friends will have to continue their fight.
One other particular highlight of this mission was educating the 8th, 9th, and 10th grade school students on disaster mitigation. Using examples of the recent Shan state earthquake, as well as the catastrophic cyclone Nargis of 2008, in which over 140,000 Burmese citizens lost their lives, I drove home the importance of proper building construction and retrofitting specific to the region. We also reviewed disaster preparedness techniques that are taught and utilized back home in Alaska, including several “duck, cover, and hold” drills. The school principal who was also the translator during my lecture promised me that he would continue the drills and implement them as standard training and practice for the entire school. This was an achievement that I found personally satisfying since the school is constructed out of unreinforced brick and the primary hazard to the village is earthquakes. Just remembering that simple technique could save the lives of several of these school children when the next earthquake strikes. Having the ability to reach audiences such as the Karen and Shan people of Burma and seeing my lecture on disaster preparedness outreach absorbed by my young students has been one of the highlights of my emergency management career.
Andrew Stevens
TR Operational Planner
Alaska State Planner for Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources
Mission Karen-Shan – Karen Training Week – Photo Journal
Below is a visual representation of Team Rubicon’s training course with the Karen IDP’s on the Thai/Burma border.
To read more about this project, click here:
http://teamrubiconusa.org/2011-project-karen-shan-karen-training-week/
*All photography by Marc Fiorito, Copyright 2011 Team Rubicon
The Team: Doc G, Jason, Andrew, and Zach
This surprisingly stable bridge was constructed of teak and bamboo.
Andrew and Zach at village 1.
Doc G prepping for a long day of training.
One of the teams interactive classes.
Zach demonstrating wrapping techniques.
The Karen children would transport goods and water; passing our training hut multiple times a day.
The local livestock.
Andrew and Zach teaching proper gauze application.
Doc G lecture on Mortality vs. Morbidity
This spider lived with us for a week and was large enough (9 inches) to devour a bird.
Tablu, the village master
Our accommodations.
A young girl cautiously watches us, just tall enough to peek through the window of a hut.
Jason and Zach prep for the surgical training course.
Doc G observes as the students utilize the knowledge they learned from the previous days lectures.
Jason leads the surgical training as 24 students observe patiently.
The Karen prepped our celebratory dinner while being extremely mindful of preserving every part for consumption.
Jason helps sort the various organs. The Karen cook the liver on a stick like a kabob.
Scrappy dogs wait for a free meal.
Andrew exploring the camp.
A quick wind-down toast with some warm Chang beer and crispy pork and the obligatory rice and egg.
Pig trotters are left hanging in the kitchen to dehydrate.
Tablu playing with the photobooth app.
Tablu and Marc - Photobooth.
Andrew with a Tokay Gecko, also know as the pitbull gecko, which kept us awake the night prior with its ridiculously loud croak.
One of the soldiers. His other leg was a prostetic, lost to a landmine.
Marc catching a little midday shut-eye in the sweltering humidity.
After the surgical training, Tablu guided us on a nature hike into the jungle.
A Free Burma Ranger.
Tablu showing us that raw pig tail is the tastiest part of the swine.
The team with one of our top students.
Spit roasted pig for dinner.
Zach preparing a tourniquet for the commencement ceremony.
A female student receiving her Certificate of Achievement.
The 2011 Karen Medic graduates.
A mother and child from one of the neighboring huts.
TR Thai/Burma border 2011
Mission Karen-Shan – Karen Training Week – Post 2
It’s been 5 days since our arrival at the first Karen refugee camp. Our entry into the camp inspired feelings of rejuvenation and hope. We were greeted with open arms and smiles as Doc G and Zach reunited with many of the same medics who had began training with them the year prior.
Doc G reunites with former student Gadot.
The population of this village is 4,159 and currently stable with no major changes in the intervening year. It is a primary education center for the Karen; and has one primary and two advanced schools. Godot, a prized student from previous year, ran out ahead of the others to greet us first. A woman named Koso put out her hand with the customary alternate hand under the right elbow. She was gently holding a baby and another woman was at her side with a similar aged baby. Each smiled broadly revealing the betel quid (the fruit of the Areca catechu palm tree) in their cheek along with the lime, leaf, and unrolled cigarette tobacco accompanying discolored and decayed teeth.
We spent the first evening visiting the clinic and reviewing a handful of patients with the assistance of Godot. It seems one of them had cold flashes and was possibly menopausal, but could alternatively have been malaria as their other problems were treated normally with multiple antibiotics. One child had bloody stool possibly caused by shigellosis, an acute bacterial infection of the lining of the intestines, and warranted antibiotic treatment as well as IV fluids. Another child had pneumonia. So with our first three patients we diagnosed three of the top 10 causes of death on our planet earth.
Zach, Doc G, and Jason review a patient file.
Same, same but different.
We went up to our dormitory-type accommodations and broke open the mosquito netting on top of a split bamboo platform. This was as comfortable as we needed to fall asleep after our fried‐egg topped noodle dinner; which for our team had been prepared with excess quantities of Tabasco and Choro sauces to give a variety to the “Same -‐ Same But Different” menus we will experience over the coming weeks.
The next morning we were up at 4am in anticipation of another move further up the river to a more remote refugee camp that would be the setting for 4 days of training. As we departed, a team of volunteer porters grabbed most of our bags. Each wore flip‐flops and seemed to leap up the hill packing 50+ lbs; a stark contrast to our Goretex boots and awkward missteps. We climbed the steep muddy sides of the protruding ridge that separates the hidden village from the Salween River. We waited for 20 minutes until distant echoes of the V8-powered long boat became almost deafening.
Our short river ride ended at a little flooded cove where we disembarked. Now a new hazard was added to the rocking small boat. Our vision was obscured by the morning light and our hoods flopped down over our eyes so that we had to be lead off the boat onto the slippery mud bank by hand like handicapped elders. We walked along an idyllic little stream; hop-scotching over the rocks in a rivulet that would shortly become a raging torrent once the afternoon tropical downpour struck in the middle of our afternoon sessions.
We hit the ground running and put in a full day first with student introductions then straight into our first lesson.
Jason instructing with students with a little help from our macbook and a lot of help from our translator Echo-Two
Jason acted as point for most of the lectures. His background fit perfectly with the curriculum since he has spent many months abroad teaching US and foreign military students in field medicine. With the help of PowerPoint presentations and our translator, Echo Tu, Jason got in-depth with subjects including: Airway; Mortality; Circulation; Prolonged Field Care; Head Injury; and Massive Bleeding. The hands-on tourniquet class allowed the students to work with a variety of systems (from primitive to modern) and practice on one another.
On the right is a Free Burma Ranger member and a victim of the ever-present landmines. He was also one of our top students.
Doc G focused on patient care principles and reviewed hand signals with surgical tools. There’s a universal language to passing instruments, a firm place in the hand for scissors and delicate reverse hand‐off of the scalpel. A good surgical assistant will anticipate their surgeon’s next tool selection and should be able to perform in complete silence; avoiding a possible translation barrier.
Each day around 2:00pm the rains would commence and the creek would swell into a torrent; diverting our trek back to the sleeping quarters. We found that our breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu remained a constant mix of rice/noodles/egg in various combinations. Our water supply remained a freshly boiled warm and smoky blend of creek water. Life moved slowly as we got to know and bond with our Karen friends. Some of our students had traveled from great distances to join us. One in particular hiked through the dense jungle on footpaths risking mine injury for a solid 5 days in order to participate in our program. He will take his new knowledge back to his home village and continue to train his trainees. A powerful force multiplier in effect. Though bashful at first, many of the students began to initiate conversations in English with us during dinners. The iPad was a unique medium to break down conversation barriers. Many were quickly enthralled with the Eyewitness App that showcases current event imagery from around the world.
Tablu engaging the iPad, studying and inquiring about each photo. An amazing sociology engagement.
For three days we worked with the students. Andrew has spent most of his life in Alaska and is currently working as the state planner for critical infrastructure for the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Having the ever-present threat of monsoons, flash floods, and typhoons, he took the students through proper building construction methods and reviewed disaster preparedness.
On day 4 we began surgical training, allowing the students to practice their newly-learned skill set in a much more realistic model. Under the guidance of Jason and Zach, each student completed a tourniquet application and simulated packing wounds. Exercising personal caution while analyzing the severity of the condition was stressed. The students’ patients often have gunshot wounds and land mine injuries from being caught in the mist of a conflict zone. They were taught how to assess the situation and quickly prevent rapid blood loss. This swift implementation will aid each one of the students in saving lives when time becomes the difference between life and death.
Jason leading the surgical training.
The students were attentive and eager, each taking their turn patiently then supporting their fellow classmates. Doc G led a suture lab allowing each to practice the previous day’s lesson. It was a fun to see all of these people lined up and wordlessly using the hand signals taught to conduct a soundless series of operations.
After the long day of training, our village leader Tablu guided us on a trek up-river to see a little more of the region. The dense jungle doesn’t allow for vast scenic views. Just a 15 feet periphery is usually visible with intermittent sun rays poking through the overhanging canopy.
When we returned to the village, the students had already begun the preparation of a pig for our celebratory dinner. As is commonplace in most of the world, the Karen people utilize every component of an animal, leaving nothing to waste.
Tablu's sense of humor transcended the language barrier.
Roasting dinner.
During the last morning with the Karen medics we were invited to share in a communal breakfast in the kitchen hut. The young men and women squatted on the benches of the picnic style table. Despite its arrangement as a bench seat at a level lower than the table, they do not sit. They squat with their knees up alongside their heads, scooping with their fingers.
Squatting at the breakfast table.
After breakfast everyone convened in the bamboo longhouse for the commencement ceremony. This was a particularly important highlight of our mission. These students were being recognized and acknowledged not simply as practitioners, but also as instructors who will in turn spread the principles and practices they have learned with us over the past two years to others. By promoting this form of indigenous medicine, we are decreasing reliance on outside support; a key strategy of strengthening their medical program.
2011 Karen Medic Graduates
There was a definite sense of pride from each individual as we brought them up in front of the class, shook their hand, and presented them with a signed Certificate of Achievement and a customized tourniquet. Some amazing things happened here this week. Knowing that the education we provided will carry foward and assist in teaching new students is very satisfying. But this is only half of our journey. We are to depart tomorrow and move north to the Shan State where we will be working with an entirely new group of students under the guidance of the Free Burma Rangers.
Mission Karen-Shan – Arrival in Thailand – Photo Journal
Below is a visual representation of the first 5 days of Team Rubicon’s journey into Thailand and working on the Thai/Burma border.
*All photography by Marc Fiorito, Copyright 2011 Team Rubicon
- Prepping the medical gear in Los Angeles
- Zach reviews the BGAN system.
- Passing through the Manilla Airport
Press Release: Team Rubicon Deploys Team to Thai/Burma Border for Project Karen Shan
September 9, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Team Rubicon Deploys Team to Thai/Burma Border for Project Karen Shan
LOS ANGELES – Team Rubicon continued its medical mission to the Thai/Burma border last month by deploying a team to train field medics in battlefield medicine. The team’s primary focus was increasing the medical capabilities of the Karen Department of Health and Welfare (KDHW) and Shan medics from Free Burma Rangers (FBR). “Our hybrid team of veterans and medical professionals took two groups of medics – 76 total – through a four day rigorous curriculum – covering subjects in landmine and gunshot trauma care, long term care of trauma patients, primary care, tropical medicine, and surgical theatre and technique.” said Team Leader Zach Smith. This is the second time the team has deployed to the border.
Team Rubicon specializes in veteran focused disaster relief in the developing world and the United States. TR is committed to indigenizing medical skill sets in order to decrease foreign aid dependence in the developing world. Burma presents TR with an ideal challenge due to its access restrictions, large displaced population, and lack of conventional aid presence.
On the streets of Port-au-Prince, in the immediate aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, TR’s military veterans had an epiphany – natural disasters present the same problems that face troops in Iraq and Afghanistan: unstable populations, limited resources, horrific sights, sounds and smells. The skills cultivated on those same battlefields – emergency medicine, risk assessment and management, teamwork and decisive
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