Dragoons give back

Story and photos by: Sgt. Jerry Wilson
2CR Public Affairs

VILSECK, Germany – As winter descends upon Bavaria, the Vilseck Health Clinic initiated its annual Influenza Vaccination Campaign in an effort to inoculate the children and elderly in the community from the dreaded flu bug. This year, medics from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment took time to give back to the community by volunteering to administer flu mist vaccinations at Department of Defense Education Activity Schools within the Grafenwohr and Vilseck community.

“We are bringing the flu vaccine to our kids,” said Lt. Col. Patrick Hartley, Chief Nurse of the Vilseck Health Clinic. “We are trying to protect them from the flu this year the best we can, and by coming to the school we get a lot more children vaccinated.”

According to Hartley, the Center for Disease Control publication last year stated that the flu vaccine program saw its best results when health care providers began taking the treatment into schools and public areas. This allowed medical professionals to administer the immunization to many more children. Hartley ran into one obstacle at the beginning of the program, a lack of medical personnel to staff each station so he called on the Dragoons for assistance.

“We have a lot of missions going on and our staff is stretched pretty thin,” Hartley said. “I asked the Regiment for help and they graciously volunteered with twice as many people as I asked them for.”
Hartley was amazed by the Dragoons response to his request for help.

“I requested six medics and they sent over 25,” he continued. “They felt it was a great service to the community and they wanted to help out.”

Each of the volunteers from the Regiment jumped at the chance to give a little something back to the community which has supported them so well.

Every mission is important in its own way,” said Spc. Cody Astin, 3rd Squadron, 2CR. “Our mission downrange was taking care of Soldiers. Our mission here is taking care of the community.”

Astin said he and his fellow medics really enjoyed the chance to get to know and care for the children of their fellow Soldiers. For Astin working with the kids again brought back fond memories from his youth.

“I love working with kids,” he said. “I had a summer job coaching T-ball and this is kind of a nice remembrance of that.”

Hartley deemed the program a great success and stated it was largely in part to the outstanding medics of 2CR.

“I have had fantastic support from the Regiment,” he said. “It has truly made this mission a success and we could not have done it without them.”

Easy does it: Spc. Dustin Seland, administers the flu mist to a brave young Patrick Blake, Wednesday, Nov. 2, at Vilseck Elementary School.

That tickles: Amber Roat shares a laugh with Spc. Cory Astin before receiving her flu mist vaccination Wednesday, Nov. 4 at Vilseck Elementary School.