Press Items

Military Medical Exercises

West African Training Cruise Medical Outreach Program Comes to Gabon

Signing up for medical services.

Under the the West African Training Cruise (WATC) Medical Outreach Program, the US Department of Defense and the Gabonese Ministry of Defense teamed-up to provide local communities medical services they might not otherwise receive.  The 36 US military physicians and medical professionals worked with their Gabonese counterparts in seven low-income communities throughout the country from July 11-21. 

This exercise gives the United States the opportunity to show its concern for the people of Gabon with an emphasis on their health, well being, and the prevention of HIV and AIDS.  It is a visible reminder of America’s commitment and good will toward the region

During the opening ceremony, Gabonese Minister of Defense Ali Bongo expressed his pleasure in the fact that Gabon is one of the host nations of this year’s exercise and welcomed “Gabon’s American friends.”  The West African Training Cruise Medical Outreach Program provides an opportunity for US military medical personnel to share their expertise and work side-by-side in realistic and challenging settings.

Ambassador Walkley called the exercise a “win-win situation for both countries” and said that the “training and care provided would help the people of Gabon while offering valuable learning and collaborative experiences for the personnel of both nations."  He went further in recognizing “the sacrifices the US personnel made in leaving their families and traveling thousands of miles to help the people of Gabon that are in need.”

The WATC program focuses on the provision of humanitarian assistance to rural populations, but also includes classroom training and a casualty exercise.