Given your experience with NGOs, I'd like to hear your thoughts. Although I am not familiar with the new "health diplomacy" concept you refer to, I have often thought that we could use military assets to address some of the human security needs in ungoverned or loosely governed regions of the world.

I think this would serve a number of purposes. First and foremost, it would get health care and other necessary aid to people that need it. Second, it would provide valuable training for the military personnel involved. Third, it would send a positive message regarding the US and its military. Fourth, when partnered with appropriate local authorities, it could help establish the legitimacy of the local government thereby denying legitimacy to any terror/insurgent organizations that exist or could exist. I think it hard for people to want to assist the US in its notions of democracy when disease and starvation are killing their kids. Fifth, in some situations it could prevent an insurgency from occuring.

I have often heard that NGOs don't like working with the military, but the military is the best equipped organization to do this. Of course, the military may need to revamp its method of conducting business and may even need to cede some control to NGOs, but given the benefits, it might be worth it.