GREAT FALLS — Operation Walking Shield will begin at Browning High School on July 18, where U.S. military personnel will provide no-cost healthcare services to anyone who needs it.
Medical services including dental, optometry, behavioral health, and veterinary care will be provided at no cost by the Department of Defense’s Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program.
“This is an opportunity to get out and help people in our own communities here in the United States and its territories,” said Captain Heather Edsall, Medical Program Manager for IRT program. “It's one of the most fulfilling, heartwarming, and probably impactful things that most of our service members will get to do for a very long time."
“Innovative Readiness Training is an office of the Secretary of Defense Training initiative that brings servicemembers from across the country together from different branches of the military to provide no-cost health care services in an environment that allows us to train,” Edsall explained.
Blackfeet Tribal Health applied for the program about a year ago, and they are excited to see it coming to fruition.
“This is a huge opportunity for everybody to get these free services,” said Garland Stiffarm, CEO of Blackfeet Tribal Health. “Not only Blackfeet, but also surrounding areas.”
The service members arrived at Great Falls International Airport on Monday and were shuttled up to the Blackfeet Reservation.
The medical clinic will be available from July 18 through July 27, where they will train and treat patients, benefitting not only themselves, but the community as a whole.
“So typically when we train on a mannequin, we just kind of do our procedure and walk away and there’s no long-term lasting effect,” Edsall said. “Here, we get to not only get the training that we need and the collaboration that we need, but the long-term effect is that patient walking away with a pair of glasses that they did not have to pay for, or a spayed or neutered cat or dog they may not have been able to get otherwise.”
There will be special access days for tribal elders, Heart Butte and Babb, and Seville and East Glacier communities with transportation provided.
July 18 is Elders Day, July 22 is Heart Butte and Babb, and July 23 is Seville and East Glacier.
The clinic will be located at Browning High School (105 US-89) in Browning.
From the event's Facebook page:
- This is open to the PUBLIC and all surrounding communities
- No ID needed to receive care
- No appointment needed for medical, vision, dental, or behavioral care
- No fees charged
- One service per check-in
- Pet services NEED an appointment, email 7359vetdet@gmail.com to schedule
- Under 18 need a guardian at all times
More information can be found here, or by calling 406-338-5606.
