So I can't really explain what I was doing over there without explaining Free Burma Rangers (
Free Burma Rangers - Free the Oppressed ). And I can't do that without explaining David Eubank.
David Eubank was raised in Thailand, came back to the USA, became a TEXAS Aggie, and then completed a career in the Special Forces. He left the military, went to seminary, and just around that time an ethnic group in Burma that is getting slaughtered sees his green beret photo on the wall over in Asia. Eubank's father was a missionary and the group asked, "Can he help us?!!"
So Eubank hear's this and decides to go. He spends several years running one man aid missions into Burma. Burmese government gets wind and tries to hunt him down. In the meantime, Burmese government is displacing thousands and Eubank runs into a Burmese guy names Eliya whose own family was missing. Eliya detours to help Eubank and show him hide sites to help people etc.
Eubank starts to train Eliya to help people and bam...Free Burma Rangers is born.
So now what?
The group has for 20 years run aid missions into Burma...and recently Sudan and Iraq. They train up locals for orienteering, perform field medicine, and "deploy" back to their villages to help people the next time the Burmese military comes. This isn't a military force, but an evade and hide force...along with recon. The groups videos were instrumental in evidence for US Sanctions on Burma and ethnic group peace that brought about the small democratic changes that have happened in the last half decade.
Here is Eubank last year
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nscl6AHNmcE
@conor mcgregor nut hugger won't like that he likes God in this video.
I saw this video and later heard randomly about the organization from another doctor that had gone to Burma. Never put the two together. But it illustrates the guy and beyond that he organizations willingness to go into hot beds others won't go to.
Interesting in Iraq, they brought these 20 year experienced Burmese medics to help and teach the Iraqis. And when I was in Burma, I saw Iraqis now coming back to aide and help the Burmese...displaced people helping each other. You can't get more empathy than that.
I'm on call so I'll be a little scattered putting more info in here ya'll.