A Bothell native recently braved the bitter cold and high winds of winter’s last rages to bring medical care to Alaskans living above the Arctic Circle.

Air Force Reserve Tech. Sgt. Kyoung Craddock is with the 86th Aerial Port Squadron at McChord Air Force Base in Washington. He offered his expertise in support of Operation Arctic Care 2010.

“I download and process cargo, vehicles, personnel and anything else the military can fit on a plane. Once supplies are ready we deliver them to their respective villages, along with personnel, via airplane or helicopter,” said Craddock.

During Operation Arctic Care medical, dental and veterinary teams from the Air Force, Army and Navy — national guard, reserve and active-duty — provided no-cost medical care to Alaskans living in remote villages who rarely get the chance to see a medical doctor. This was the 16th year Operation Arctic Care was held in Alaska as part of the Department of Defense Innovative Readiness Training Program and the first time Air Force Reserve Command had the lead.

“Operation Arctic Care is an important mission because supplies such as food and water, not to mention medical supplies are hard to get to some villages. Some of the people go without seeing any doctors for many months, or even years,” said Craddock. “It’s harsh in the winter and difficult to receive medical attention.”

Craddock and the other members participating in Operation Arctic Care worked hard to make sure care got to everyone in the villages around Kotzebue. During the operation, the teams saw more than 1,675 medical patients, treated approximately 1,400 dental patients, created and distributed more than 900 pairs of glasses and vaccinated more than 730 dogs.

Residents of those villages made sure to show the teams their appreciation. Often, local communities held dinners and lunches for the servicemembers, serving up local flavors including caribou stew, muktuk (whale blubber) and sheefish. They also demonstrated several sports activities that originally developed as survival techniques over centuries in the harsh arctic climate, as well as a number of native dances.

“I like walking through the town and meeting the wonderful people and learning about their culture,” said Craddock, who has served 13 years of military service. “It is a wonderful feeling to know that we are making a difference for thousands of men, women and children. That is the driving force keeping us going every day.”