Giving the Gift of Sight in Afghanistan

Nearly 900 men and women of the Oregon Army National Guard in Afghanistan are joined by military members from 49 states, 13 Coalition Countries, and active duty Army, Navy, Marines an Coast Guard and civilian contractors to make up this Task Force of approximately 6,000 people.

All photos by: Janette Arencibia

(KABUL, Afghanistan) - In addition to caring for vision needs of the Warriors of Task Force Phoenix, Lt. Col. James Randolph, Petty Officer 2nd Class Conward Bundrick, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Khalil Weaver, give the gift of sight to the people of Afghanistan. A villager in his mid-fifties sat down in the exam chair. His look was very serious as he concentrated on the eye chart Weaver pointed to. Randolph used an antique skiaoscopy rack to determine the correction the man needed, and Bundrick located a pair of glasses with the appropriate prescription and passed them to the doctor. Randolph placed the glasses on the man; the change was immediate. He looked at the eye chart and his face transformed. The once stern look was replaced with a bright smile. The man laughed and told the interpreter that he could see. He pointed and said that he could clearly make out the eye chart that was barely visible without the glasses. “When you get a smile like that, you know you have really helped someone who couldn’t see,” Randolph stated. Together, the team has experienced the smiles of children and adults who have been given the gift of sight. “People here have so little,” Bundrick said. “To give them something we take for granted, it is the best thing.” Bundrick and Weaver, both active duty Navy personnel, usually work in a clinical environment. The mission at Task Force Phoenix has given them an opportunity to see the immediate reaction of their patients when they see clearly for the first time. Although they have only worked together for a short time, Randolph, Bundrick and Weaver have formed a precision team. From setting up for a Cooperative Medical Assistance (CMA) mission to routine exams, each knows their role. During CMA missions, the team loads up several pairs of glasses, made in different prescriptions, and boxes of equipment to conduct eye exams. Bundrick and Weaver make up over 100 pairs of glasses from frames that have been donated by various organizations and businesses. During a CMA the team can fit anywhere from 40 to 150 people with glasses. Local villagers line up outside the makeshift exam room waiting for their chance to visit the eye doctor and improve their vision. Eye problems range from normal, age-related vision problems which are easily corrected with reading glasses, to more severe problems and loss of sight. The most common ailment Randolph treats is allergic conjunctivitis which is due to soot, dust, pollen and other pollutants in the air. Randolph and his team have participated in six CMAs. Each patient is different, but the end result is usually the same, most walk away with a new pair of glasses or medicated eye drops and the smile that reassures the team of their success. Unfortunately, there are patients that have damage beyond the immediate help of eyeglasses. Some require cataract surgery that is available in Afghanistan. Others require more extensive surgery that is not available in this country. Still, others have irreversible conditions that cause permanent loss of sight. One common cause of blindness in Afghanistan is corneal scarring. The scarring is the result of a simple injury that is left untreated. The cornea becomes scarred causing permanent damage and loss of sight. Some cases leave the individual with a noticeably disfigured eye. Nazanin, a young girl with a disfigured eye, came to Randolph for care. Although nothing could be done to restore her sight, Randolph is fitting her for a cosmetic contact that will give her eye a more normal appearance. The feeling of making a difference has been rewarding and unforgettable for the team. After 37 years in the Army, and 28 years as an optometrist, Randolph still smiles each time someone leaves his office better then they came in. “This deployment has been the highlight of my career,” Randolph said.