Surgical Capability Provides Mission Success Throughout the AOR

Staff Sgt. Troy Leach (left), a 379th Expeditionary Medical Group surgical clinic and respiratory therapist, uses a laparoscopic fiber optic camera to aid Major (Doctor) Brian Holt, 379th Expeditionary Medical Group General Surgeon, in an operation for an inguinal hernia as Staff Sgt. Vanessa Clark stands by, June 5, 2009 at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. This specific surgery allows the patient to return to duty quicker and with less pain. The surgeries performed here range from elective to acute emergencies. The surgical team provides treatment for patients coming in from all over the U.S. Central Command's Area of Responsibility. Sergeant Leach hails from Nashville Tenn. and is deployed from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. Major Holt hails from St. Peters, Mo. and is deployed from Misawa Air Base, Japan. Sergeant Clark hails from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and is deployed from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. All are deployed in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom and Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Andrew Satran/released)