US Marines Excite Soroti

Aug 20, 2002

THERE was excitement in Soroti town when the Medflag US advance Marine team landed at the Soroti Flying School in three planes.

By Kenneth Otim andNathan Etengu in SorotiTHERE was excitement in Soroti town when the Medflag US advance Marine team landed at the Soroti Flying School in three planes.The planes, which flew over the town before landing, made a hissing sound like that of military jets.But the Medflag 2002 joint military and medical exercise failed to take off yesterday.Lt. Col. Rebecca Brown of the U.S. Air Force who is in Soroti for the preparatory meeting, said some equipment had not yet arrived.“Some of the equipment to be used in the exercise is expected tonight,” she said.She said the exercise would start immediately the equipment arrived.The UPDF Chief of Staff, Brigadier James Nakibus Lakara, said he was not aware of the delay.The planes each carried four US marines who were driven away to Soroti Hotel where some of the Marines will be staying.The planes landed in quick succession, leaving the residents spell-bound on the streets.The planes carried the Medflag advance team for the largest ever US military training event in this region. It will constitute a joint medical readiness exercise to be conducted in seven locations in the district.Medical and logistics specialists from the US Air Force, army and navy and a number of Ugandan military medical units will participate in the event.An excited elderly woman shouted to others as the planes landed, “Today we shall be at Soroti Hotel not any other place.”The hotel was guarded by a contingent of UPDF soldiers.The public affairs officer at the US Embassy, Mary Jeffers, said the exercise would take off tomorrow.She said troops and medical personnel from some of the participating countries had arrived.However, just a few UPDF and US troops were in Soroti.Kenya, South Africa, UK, the Netherlands, France, Rwanda, Morocco and the host, Uganda, are participating.Jeffers said about 100 US troops were expected.Medflag 2002 had earlier been planned for Aswa ranch, Gulu district, but was shifted to Soroti for unexplained reasons.Ends

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