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Wisconsin Army Reservists build classrooms in Bocas
Panamanians organize absentee voting from USA
Girl Scouts' walk against hunger
English-language seminars about RP labor law in Bocas
Tuesday talk on Panama's bookselling business

Charly Garcia's the new American Society president
This lovable tinaquero dog needs a human to protect
 

Specialist Myles Mason, also a painter in his civilian life in Janesville,

Wisconsin, touches up a new classroom in Norteño, Bocas del Toro

Nuevos Horizontes as a military engineering exercise

photos and story by Eric Jackson

Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Jones of the Wisconsin Army Reserves explained to the assembled reporters and dignitaries that, in addition to the medical and veterinary care that US military reserve and national guard units were providing in rural areas of Bocas del Toro, and in addition to advancing American political goals like "support for civilian democratic rule," this year's Nuevos Horizontes maneuvers were aimed at improving the skills needed to "plan and coordinate for the sustainment of our own people."

And indeed, wherever US forces go they need engineers and other support units to provide the troops with shelter from the elements, roads and other transportation infrastructure to move forces around, food and clean drinking water, sanitary facilities, ambulance services, medical care not far from the front lines and so on. Except that there is no battle front here, those sorts of engineering and support activities have been what people from the various branches of the US Armed Forces were practicing in Bocas del Toro these past several months.

Several reserve or national guard engineering units from different parts of the United States have worked in succession to build two health care clinic buildings and two classroom buildings, and to improve two stretches of road in the mainland part of Bocas del Toro province. For these construction units, the medical and veterinary teams that have also been part of the Nuevos Horizontes 2007 maneuvers and the administrative and support staff involved, Petroterminales de Panama --- also in need of some positive public relations in the wake of a recent oil spill caused by a broken valve at their Chiriqui Grande facilities --- lent the use of an old pipeline construction workers' camp in Rambala, which was converted into the Nuevos Horizontes home base.

We visited a school in Norteño, where a Wisconsin Reserves unit was working overtime to get two new classrooms and some toilets ready for the local primary school. I noticed a set of floodlights and asked about what that was about: the onset of rainy season had delayed the arrival of some supplies, and work was continuing at night to make up for lost time and get the project ready for delivery to Panama's Ministry of Education at the rapidly approaching appointed time. A roof remained to finish, doors had to hung, the last plumbing and electrical work was underway, the paint job was being touched up, a bit of landscaping and some carpentry had to be done, concrete walkways had to be poured, but the work was well advanced. Assigning the teachers and providing books and school supplies would be up to Panama's Ministry of Education, but they'd have a couple of new classrooms for kids to get their first steps toward a shot at a better life than their parents had.

The kids who will learn in these classrooms are growing up in houses like these

Back at Rambala, this mobile reverse osmosis water purification plant was producing potable drinking water for the troops. During these maneuvers nearby Isla Colon's water reservoir ran dry and another such plant was lent to keep the taps running in Bocas Town

The troops were living in tents, but conditions really weren't all that primitive

¡Staff Sergeant Brad Svoboda y Specialist Christopher Conn, presente! These two soldiers lost their lives in service to their country and while helping the people of Panama when a truck smashed head-on into their humvee on a dangerous stretch of road during this year's Nuevos Horizontes maneuvers

Wisconsin Army Reservists build classrooms in Bocas
Panamanians organize absentee voting from USA
Girl Scouts' walk against hunger
English-language seminars about RP labor law in Bocas
Tuesday talk on Panama's bookselling business