Iowa army reservists head to South America on medical mission

When asked how they spent their summer vacation, some Iowans will be ableto say — providing health care to thousands of South Americans. A DesMoines-based Army Reserve unit is leaving for Columbia next week to providefree medical and dental care to the Tolima Province.Staff Sergeant Jack Boggs of Cedar Rapids is helping organize the trip formembers of the 4224th Army hospital unit. The group of 35 doctors, dentists,nurses and other medical assistants will treat up to seven-thousandColumbians during the two-week mission. Sergeant Boggs expects hundreds of people to be lined up, waiting for care,when the group arrives in the empoverished region. He says there’s a realsense of accomplishment after completing a mission like this.The Army Reservists who make up the 4224th include people from all acrossIowa & bordering towns in Missouri, Nebraska and even Kansas.