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***image1***Approximately 90 Airmen from Ramstein, Landstuhl and Sembach recently joined with military members from approximately 16 nations in Tbilisi, Georgia, to gain medical training and practice their responses to major disasters and mass casualty situations as a part of RESCUER/MEDCEUR 2005.
The two-week exercise, which started Sept. 10, is a joint and multi-national military exercise that allows U.S. European Command units to practice their deployment processes and interoperability with the armed forces of other countries.
The RESCUER portion of the exercise is a computer-assisted, joint task force disaster response and consequence management simulation.
The MEDCEUR portion provides training and operational experience to personnel, as well as validates the readiness status of the component crisis response and surgical response team. Additionally, this exercise allows for the interchange of medical information and techniques with host nation medical personnel.
“We have outstanding training for ourselves and our international partners, and we are forming close professional and personal relationships that we hope will last a lifetime,” said Col. Tyler Putnam, MEDCEUR commander.
Airmen from Ramstein units – 435th Medical Group, 86th Contingency Response Group, 435th Wing Staff Agencies, Construction Training Squadron, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces European Command – are involved in every aspect of the exercise, from planning to training to providing support services.
In addition to exercising their responses and gaining training, some of the Airmen also have the opportunity to provide limited humanitarian civic assistance to the host nation of Georgia.
This assistance includes cataract surgery, vision exams, free eyeglasses, and improvements to a Georgian medical clinic.
Approximately 470 U.S. servicemembers and 475 partner nation participants are involved in the exercise.
“It’s been unique to watch people sign in, and try to learn a little of their language,” said Tech. Sgt. Joyette Galloway, 435th Medical Operations Squadron. “I am looking forward to the exercise, and to trying to make it as realistic as possible.”
