5 minute read
Lt. Col. Grabowski Reflects on His IRT Experience in Lahaina, Maui
Innovative readiness training (IRT) is a two-pronged Department of Defense military training opportunity that delivers training opportunities for various branches of the uniformed services to increase deployment readiness. For servicemembers who are healthcare providers in the military, these IRTs involve providing healthcare services to American communities as a way to ensure their skillsets are adaptable and field-ready.
In 2018, AGD member Lt. Col. Douglas N. Grabowski, DMD, participated in an IRT on Maui, Hawaii, in a community that was devastated five years later by the August 2023 wildfires. He shared his experience and how it impacted him.
AGD Impact: What was your assignment in Maui, and what kinds of activities and procedures did you and your unit perform?
Grabowski: The highlight of my military service came during the summer of 2018, when I was tasked with leading a site for the 2018 Tropic Care IRT in Maui, Hawaii. I was assigned as the site director for Lahaina, Maui. The IRT program provided a benefit to both the residents of Lahaina and the 40 military members who made up our team of medical professionals. For the residents, the benefit was clear — our patients received much-needed dental care and vision exams, including prescription glasses. Additionally, we were able to offer health screenings and, in some instances, acute care. On the flipside, our military team was able to practice “readiness,” which is crucial to our ability to provide worldwide medical response at a moment’s notice. The military utilizes these humanitarian training opportunities, or IRTs, to make sure that everything ranging from deploying logistical support to providing topnotch medical care is proficient.
What challenges did you face during this experience?
Most notably, we faced two natural disaster challenges that helped ensure our deployment skills were ready to go. On the eve of our final day of care, our planners informed us that a tropical depression, which would turn into Hurricane Lane, was heading right for us. We flexed to make sure we were able to get personnel and medical equipment on earlier flights. As we successfully mitigated Mother Nature’s first challenge, we then faced a brush fire that encroached on our site. The fire eerily foreshadowed the devastating fire that engulfed and destroyed most of Lahaina on Aug. 8, 2023. The community is still recovering from the massive losses.
How did the local population benefit from your IRT mission?
When I first learned I was going to Lahaina as a part of a medical mission, I was ignorant of the need for low-cost or voluntary healthcare in Hawaii. I associated Lahaina with a very affluent and wealthy population — the type of place people visit for a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. The truth is that many of the residents on the island who support tourist activities are independent contractors, like surf instructors or small family business employees. Many locals do not have the means to seek emergent healthcare or the money to afford preventive care. In our week of care, our site alone was able to see more than 1,000 patients, complete more than 15,000 procedures and log more than 500 hours in combined personnel training.
What impact did this assignment have on you personally and professionally?
I have always been proud to serve. For more than 16 years, I have had the privilege of providing dental care to the airmen who voluntarily defend our country. This opportunity provided me with the opportunity to connect my day-to-day work with the impact our Armed Forces have around the world. I was able to see firsthand the community’s excitement when they knew we were there to help.
What are some key takeaways from your experience?
The big takeaway I had from this event was that our military is incredibly capable. Forty individuals were able to get together and convert a church into a clinic. Our site was able to serve as an emergency pharmacy, a sterilization center for medical instruments, an optometry clinic, a dental clinic and a wellness center. Our team was composed of nearly all the military branches: Air Force, Army, Navy and Coast Guard. We gelled instantly, and many of us still keep in touch six years later.
Any favorite moments?
Meeting the locals and treating them was incredibly rewarding, but my favorite memories are of what the community did for us. They welcomed us with open arms. They hosted a luau in our honor, taught several of our team members how to surf and showed us how to cook traditional Hawaiian cuisine. Sadly, many of my local friends from this trip lost everything in the fire of August 2023. The church that served as our clinic — the historic Waiola Church, which is pictured in one of the most famous images from the fire, taken by Matthew Thayer of The Maui News — was also destroyed. I hope to go back one day with my kids and show them the Lahaina community. It was an experience I’ll never forget, and I’ll always be thankful for the opportunity.
