Photo By Staff Sgt. Taylor Crul | U.S. Army Preventive Medicine Specialists, assigned to the 71st Medical Detachment,...... read more read more
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Baumholder, Germany – Special Operations Command Africa facilitated a knowledge exchange with preventative medicine teams from the U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s 71st Medical Detachment and the Royal Netherlands Army on February 7, 2023, in Baumholder, Germany.
The Multinational Preventative Medicine Pre-Deployment Event assembled approximately 25 participants to synchronize mission protocols surrounding preventative medicine in support of the March Flintlock 2023 Exercise in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. The engagement allowed both allied forces to align priorities, identify projected areas of highest risk, and formulate plans to pre-emptively mitigate those hazards.
“The opportunity to assemble the U.S. and Dutch preventative medicine teams prior to the exercise is a huge win,” said Col. Amy Bogiel, SOCAFRICA Command Surgeon. “The preventative medicine teams at each site will be comprised of personnel from both nations and it is critical that they function as single unified team. From running equipment set layouts with familiarization training to simply working closely together, this event will allow us to hit the ground running at Flintlock.”
This engagement illustrates the value of Flintlock to assemble partner nations to form enduring relationships beyond the scope of the exercise, further enhancing interoperability. These partnerships are not only instrumental in maintaining mission priorities in the U.S. Africa Command area of responsibility but also within the U.S. European Command AOR.
The upcoming Flintlock Exercise will be comprised of approximately 1,300 personnel from 30 African and international partner nations. Featured at the exercise will be U.S. and Dutch Preventative Medicine units. The NATO allies play a pivotal role in the Flintlock Exercises as well as contributing to both security and medical efforts with the African partners.
“The opportunity to train, work and especially to learn from each other is invaluable for us. It contributes to becoming a better Preventative Medicine team,” said Preventative Medicine Officer Irene Rijnen-Karstel of the Dutch Force Health Protection team. “I have complete confidence that this is just the beginning of a great long-term cooperation between the U.S. and Dutch Preventative Medicine.”
Flintlock 2023 represents the first time that the Dutch Force Health Protection team will be joining forces with the U.S. Army’s 71st Medical Detachment to provide preventative medical services at the exercise.
“I am very excited for the potential future of interoperability and multi-national participation in exercises like these,” said Maj. Phillip George, commander of the 71st Medical Detachment. “Having willing and enthusiastic partners like the Dutch to cross-train and operate with add elements to conventional training that cannot be easily replicated.”
The Preventative Medicine team’s role at Flintlock will be to monitor and assess the exercise locations for exposure hazards to Flintlock participants and apply mitigation techniques to address these threats posed by disease and injury. Mitigating these environmental hazards is critical to exercise readiness and mission success.
| Date Taken: | 02.23.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 02.23.2023 10:40 |
| Story ID: | 439022 |
| Location: | DE |
| Web Views: | 626 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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