Around the world, brave men and women serve in their national armed forces, trained and ready to take on, at a moment’s notice, threats to their homeland. But sometimes that threat doesn’t come in the form of weapons and soldiers. It comes from diseases that hinder the country’s ability to defend itself. It comes from a young populace unable to access quality education. In those times, strong allies are more important than ever. The American people have been that ally in Zambia. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), in coordination with the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), has partnered with the Zambia Defence Force since 2003 to fight the spread of HIV and AIDS in Zambia’s defense forces and communities. Today DoD PEPFAR provides more than $10 million per year to support HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment in Zambia. This complements the $1.3 billion total U.S. government contribution since 2004. The U.S. goal is to build Zambia’s capacity to lead the fight against HIV/AIDS. A major component of the program is improving the basic framework for health services. This includes renovating existing healthcare structures and funding new construction, such as preventive healthcare centers, laboratories and tuberculosis clinics. DoD PEPFAR has constructed PHCs on five Zambia National Service camps. The ZNS camp at Choma is just one example. The camp’s old facility was a two-room house converted into a clinic. One room contained a couple of hospital beds and a wash basin. The other contained a check-in desk and dispensary. Camp commander, Lieutenant Colonel Grace Chiwena, was eager to move operations to the new facility that opened in May. "It's a big step forward," said Chiwena. "We have the same services here as a general hospital. Now the staff can do their work properly. We are thankful." The new facility offers an array of prevention services including counseling, testing and male circumcision. The facility includes a pharmacy, a patient records room and private consultation rooms to ensure patient confidentiality. The camp serves more than 170 active duty soldiers and their families. But the impact goes beyond the soldiers: The surrounding community also accesses care at the camp, bringing the total population served by the PHC to more than 6,000 people, improving the health and lives of an entire community. In Zambia's tourism capital, Livingstone, DoD also partnered with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to complete two projects at the Livingstone General Hospital - a pediatric HIV/AIDS and a tuberculosis clinic. "Morale among the clinic's staff has improved because they are working in a more conducive environment that enables them to better perform their duties," said one of the clinic's nurses. She also said the community is receiving quality treatment and now feels more willing to seek treatment when needed. DoD has also reached out to rural communities in Zambia. DoD PEPFAR constructed a voluntary counseling and testing center (VCT) in Mukuni Village, located in a remote area southwest of Livingstone. The center offers counseling, testing and HIV drug regimen adherence monitoring to an otherwise isolated community. Zambian communities also benefit from American investments in education. Ngwenya Community School was the first major DoD humanitarian assistance project in Zambia. In 2002, seven classroom blocks and a latrine were constructed at the site. Since completion, enrollment has increased from 173 students to more than 900. Head teacher Mr. Lusaka credits the improved facility with the growth of the school and the success of its pupils: The school has one of the highest Grade 7 standardized test pass rates in the country. Lusaka noted the importance of the school not only to the children, but also to the community. Students are taught skills for survival and livelihood and they pass on their knowledge to their families. "We are really thankful to the American people," he said. Working closely with the Zambia Defence Force and Zambian communities, the U.S. Department of Defense helps build healthy, educated defence force members and communities that are able to maintain peace, security and stability. (Sara Stealy, Technical Sergeant Jay Twine and Staff Sergeant Amanda McCarty contributed to this article)