Get Ready Miss-Lou residents. As part of our ongoing service to our nation’s veterans, the Copiah-Lincoln Community College Natchez campus will host the U.S. Military’s Innovative Readiness Training on Tuesday through Aug. 13. Hosting this event is both an honor and a privilege for our campus.

During this 12-day event, participants will receive free basic services in medical, dental, vision, mental health and veterinary care. With more than 20 percent of uninsured or underinsured Mississippi residents, this nearly two-week long event will certainly make a meaningful and lasting impact on our local and surrounding communities. These services are open to the public, free of charge, and not limited to military veterans or Natchez residents. No registration is needed, and services will be provided during the week and weekend days on a first-come/first-served basis.

The Department of Defense’s Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) Program is a U.S. military volunteer training opportunity that provides real world training and readiness for military personnel while addressing the needs of underserved American communities. Through this program, military units refine their engineering, health care, diving and transportation skills by performing services and developing projects for communities that otherwise would not have the resources to conduct them on their own.

IRT projects align with military mission essential tasks that prepare Service members and units to respond whenever the nation calls; their partnerships assist non-DoD organizations in realizing their visions for sustainable and thriving communities; and strengthen the bond between American citizens and the U.S. military; and are a wise taxpayer investment, enriching training with existing resources while creating value in American communities.

We are truly grateful to IRT for bringing these vital services to our regional community, and we thank our partners—Delta Regional Authority and Alcorn State University—for their assistance in making this a reality for the Miss-Lou.

For more general information on IRT please visit http://irt.defense.gov/.

 

Monica Morrison is the assistant dean of Career-Technical & Workforce Education on the Co-Lin Natchez Campus.