The Air Force doesn't just drop bombs. The service does all kinds of "soft power" missions, too -- training doctors, strengthening local economies, and building America's image abroad.
That's the reaction I got from a bunch of Air Force types, after a recent post, suggesting that "hard power" was topic #1, when the service discussed its contribution to fighting insurgencies.
Not so, the zoomies countered. In 2008, Air Force cargo planes delivered food and emergency supplies to China, Georgia and Burma. Right now, they point out, those Air Force C-17s are bringing aid to Darfur.
But nowhere is the Air Force flexing its soft power more than in the Caribbean and Central and South America, argues Lieutenant General Norman Seip, who oversees the service's efforts in the region, as commander of Air Forces Southern.
During 30 "medical readiness events" in 2008, AFSOUTH teams "treated more than 100,000 patients in 14 countries, accomplishing 675 life-altering surgeries such as cleft palate repair and vision corrections, as well as 1500 dental procedures," Seip tells Danger Room.
*Medical personnel partner with host nation military doctors, ministries of health and non-government organizations to ensure these events provide applicable training for local medical professionals yielding enduring, positive effects on citizens. For 2009, we’re planning to increase our efforts — reaching out to even more remote areas (including a 'Riverine' — the first of its kind medical mission deep into the Amazon) and partnering with medical schools and non-government organizations to multiply our effectiveness." *
New Horizons is an annual infrastructure program sponsored by U.S. Southern
Command. In 2008, Air Force New Horizons building projects in the region helped to erect schools and clinics, drill wells and bring services to remote populations. The three clinics and two school houses constructed by Airmen now serve more than 20,000 Peruvian citizens while medical personnel took the opportunity to treat more than 12,000 local patients in the province.
*Opportunities for professional military education such as
Non-Commissioned Officer Academy courses and Inter-American Air Force
Academy classes educate hundreds of military members from Latin
America. Dozens of military training and exercise events have helped to assist our partner nations in disaster response efforts, search and rescue operations and environmental protection. Working alongside partner nation military members, Airmen share tactics, techniques and procedures with their counterparts while learning new perspectives and approaches to military operations. These events aren’t focused on
‘putting bombs on target’ — we’re helping to build partner nation capacity to respond to natural disasters, assist civilian authorities, uphold the rule of law and combat illegal drug trafficking. *
[Photo: USAF]
