US Marines provide free medical care

Daboya (N/R), June 18, GNA - A team of medical doctors from the United States Marines in collaboration with the Ghana Army, are undertaking a three-week military training exercise and free medical outreach programme in Daboya in the West Gonja District. The team has so far, treated over 3,942 people suffering from various ailments and also provided veterinary services to about 11,500 animals in Daboya and its surrounding villages.

The joint military exercise code-named: "Exercise Shared Accord 2008", seeks among other things, to measure the comparability between the Ghana Army and the US Marines at the squad and platoon levels and to enhance the capacity of the Ghana Army to undertake and support peace operations.

Major Francis Ampobi, of the Public Relations Department of the Army Headquarters, disclosed this when Major-General Samuel Odotei, Chief of the Ghana Army Staff and Major-General Cornell A. Wilson, Jnr, Commanding General of the US Marine Corps Forces Europe, paid a working visit to the troops at the Daboya Military Training Camp.

There are 307 US Marines and 156 Ghanaian troops made up of all ranks.

The troops are undertaking several military exercises to test their combat readiness and to sharpen their skills. They are also engaging in "near real life" battle scenarios with live ammunition. Major-General Wilson commended the Ghana Army for its professionalism and described the training exercise as "very useful". He said the joint Ghana-US military exercises over the years had been mutually beneficial to both countries, as the parties had learnt from each another.