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 Texas Guard hosts Chilean partners during Operation Lone Star By Capt. Martha Nigrelle
                Texas National Guard
 PHARR, Texas – Patients lined the hallways and examination beds filled the gym as both military and civilian personnel worked together to provide hundreds of people with medical services. This was what the Chilean military delegation saw as they walked into Pharr San Juan Alamo High School to observe Operation Lone Star, July 27, 2016. Texas Guard members and U.S. Army Reservists partnered with medical students, volunteers and local and state health service agencies, treating hundreds of patients throughout the school gym and classrooms during the annual event. "Observing this event is an excellent example of how the U.S. and Texas respond to the needs in the state and the country, said Maj. Enrique Romero, a physician in the Chilean Air Force. "I am impressed with how big the operation is and how many people are being attended to. I am also impressed with the overall humanity that all of the volunteers display – there is a genuine sense of caring for the people being treated. The Texas National Guard and Chile have been paired since 2008 in the State Partnership Program. The SPP allows state National Guards to partner with nations around the world to strengthen relationships andinteroperability, enhance military capabilities, and increase cultural awareness and professional skills among U.S. military personnel and their counterparts. Operation Lone Star is a collaborative medical disaster-preparedness exercise that unites local, state and federal health providers addressing the medical needs of thousands of underserved Texas residents and providing real-time, large-scale emergency response training. The exercise first began in 1998, following an outbreak of tuberculosis in the Rio Grande Valley. Over the years, it has grown into one of the nation's largest disaster preparedness exercises of its kind. As well as providing annual training to disaster response agencies, Operation Lone Star ensures that thousands of Texas residents receive medical services they may not receive otherwise. "We are creating a ring of public health safety, said Eduardo Olivarez, chief administrative officer for the Hidalgo County Department of Health and Human Services. "Because of this training, we are prepared for any future outbreaks. We know exactly how long it will take us to immunize a large number of people and what resources we will need to do that. The military has long been a part of this operation. "The military role is important, said Olivarez. "One, they have special medical services and can train on medical support, but more importantly, this desensitizes any fears or anxiety some people may have of uniformed officers, and that is powerful. While visiting the operation, the delegation had an opportunity to see in-processing, vital signs, immunizations, physicals and dental operations and meet volunteers from both military and civilian health service agencies, as well as, students volunteering from the local medical school. They also walked through the optometry process, where patients were able to pick out a pair of glasses and then wait as a group of volunteers from Remote Area Medical cut a pair of lenses to fit the frames. Customers needing glasses left Operation Lone Star with a brand new pair, customized to their need. The Chilean military has a similar process of bringing medical services to parts of the population who may not receive medical attention otherwise, explained Lt. Col. Claudio Orellana, Public Affairs Officer for the Chilean Army. But it is usually just the military, said Orellana. "I am impressed with how the military and the civilian agencies work together and I think this is good and something we can do in Chile. "It is an honor to have the Chilean group here, said Col. Jonathan MacClements, a physician in the Texas State Guard Medical Brigade. "We can learn from each other. The way the world is at the moment, diseases can spread rapidly around the world, so being able to build relationships before the disaster occurs is a wonderful opportunity.
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