Antakya, Türkiye – United States Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen constructed and organized a 100-bed emergency hospital in less than one week, as part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s continuous commitment to assist survivors of the catastrophic earthquakes in Türkiye.
U.S. Naval Forces Europe, in coordination with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) facilitated the construction of the field hospital at the request of the government of Türkiye, with assistance from the 633d Surgical Operations Squadron, Langley Air Force Base, Medical Installation Support Team (MIST).
“As soon as we received the request for a field hospital our team got to work and was able to complete its construction and set-up in less than a week,” said Brig. Gen Andrew Priddy, commanding general, TF 61/2. “The field hospital is just another example of how we are committed to helping our Turkish allies. I could not be prouder of this team.”
U.S. Marines, assigned to U.S. Sixth Fleet’s Task Force 61/2, worked side-by-side with the Ministry of Health through USAID to ensure the hospital was established and operational before departing Serinyol.
“Being able to help the Turkish people was an amazing honor but being so well received and treated with kindness humbled me greatly,” said 1st Lt. Rylie Zuelch, a MIST team leader. “It was a truly eye-opening experience, and I learned a lot. I’m, just glad I was able to help.”
The emergency field hospital is equipped with an emergency room, two operating rooms, and an intensive care unit. Along with the field hospital’s emergency care it’s capable of providing pediatric care.
The Marines of TF 61/2, Airmen from 39th Air Base Wing, and Airmen from the 633d Surgical Operations Squadron, worked day and night to set up the hospital in less than five days, a task that was projected to take seven days. The hospital will be officially turned over to Turkish authorities on Mar. 7.
TF 61/2, under operational control of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and U.S. Sixth Fleet, is responding to the deadly 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that devastated southeastern and central Türkiye on Feb. 6. Hours after the earthquake, U.S. Marines and Sailors established a forward crisis response operations center at Incirlik Air Base, Türkiye, in close coordination with U.S. interagency partners and Turkish officials.
Art and Technology has always played a significant role in human life and development throughout history. As art comes in many different forms such as painting, sculpture, photography, and music and touches people's lives in various ways technology moves us forward. Today, we want to share the success story and background of one Turkish-American artist, Pinar LaCroix, from New York City, who has found a way to seamlessly combine art and technology. Pinar LaCroix a graduate from ISTEK high schools from Istanbul, developed a deep appreciation for art history and heritage, due to her family’s passion in arts and collecting. After pursuing her academic education she moved to the United States to broaden her artistic vision globally. Her first recognition in the art world came when her painting was recognized by Arica Hilton gallery in Chicago (2001) and was collected at a mixed exhibition. With the first money she earned from her art, she purchased a computer to dive into the world of technology and to feed her curiosity. 
