SEATTLE – A group of Soldiers from the Delta Company, 341st Military Intelligence Battalion, recently volunteered at a Seattle and King County medical clinic to provide language support for visitors receiving free medical, dental and vision care.
“We were proud to serve not only in uniform but also in spirit through compassion, connection and language,” said Sgt. Ina Mayamba, a linguist with Delta Company and a health service specialist with the Washington Army National Guard. “As volunteer linguists and interpreters, we came together to support the clinic’s mission.”
The team included experts in various languages, including Russian, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Mandarin and Spanish, who helped bridge patient communication gaps throughout the multi-day event.
“We understand that for many, language is the bridge between uncertainty and understanding, between fear and trust. That’s why we’re here,” Mayamba said.
Mayamba credits the spirit of service within the unit to its commander, Capt. Jacob Descamp. He is a full-time police officer in Kirkland, Wash., who leads by example.
“He doesn’t just tell us to serve; he shows us how. His motivation and example light the way for the rest of us to follow, as both a commander in the Guard and a police officer,” Mayamba said. “This year, he worked double shifts for all four days of the clinic, often being the first to arrive and the last to leave. For him, this wasn’t just volunteer work or an assignment; it was a personal mission to give back.”
Descamp’s motivation is to give back and help those who may feel like they aren’t being helped.
“People deserve to be seen, heard, and helped,” Descamp said. “And if we have the ability, then we have the responsibility.”
The Soldiers from Delta Company contributed more than 100 hours of interpretation and support services, ensuring that every patient, regardless of language, could access care and feel respected, understood and supported from check-in through treatment.
“But more than the hours, it’s the stories that will stay with us,” Mayamba said. “Some of us were volunteering for the first time, feeling unsure of what to expect, only to be moved by the relief and gratitude of patients who could finally be understood. Others joined after hearing about the profound impact of the clinic from fellow soldiers. We were nervous at first but quickly grew confident and proud to be part of something so meaningful.”
Many Delta Company Soldiers return to volunteer year after year.
“We carry with us the memories of patients who touched our hearts, like an elderly man who had lost his family and income, who held one of our hands after his appointment and said, ‘Thank you for seeing me.’ Moments like these are why we continue to come back,” Mayamba said. “We were deeply moved by the people we served [including] those who waited for hours, some even camping outside, just to receive care. Others brought children, neighbors and even strangers who didn’t speak English. Our mission was to make them feel safe, welcome and understood, and we are honored to have done so.”
The Soldiers of Delta Company also believe that being Citizen-Soldiers in the Washington Army National Guard makes this volunteer mission even better because it invests in the community in which they live.
“Every smile, every handshake, and every translated sentence, we were reminded that service comes in many forms, not just in combat boots or during disasters, but in small, quiet acts of humanity,” Mayamba said.