Photo By Maj. Michael O'Hagan | New York Air National Guard and Brazilian airmen pose for a photo by a New York HH-60G...... read more read more
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New York National Guard Airmen and Soldiers are heading to Brazil in August to take part in two training missions as part of the National Guard’s State Partnership Program.
The New York National Guard has had a State Partnership Program training and exchange relationship with Brazil since 2019. One hundred and eighteen Soldiers and Airmen will take part in the two training missions in August.
Fifteen New York Army National Guard medical personnel based in Queensbury will participate in a Brazilian humanitarian response exercise called Operation Parana III in Brazil’s Parana State from August 12 to 18.
The Soldiers from the 466th Medical Company (Area Support) will be joined by two public affairs Soldiers and a staff planner from the New York Army National Guard’s 53rd Troop Command for the exercise.
As an area support medical company, the 466th provides both routine and emergency medical care to Soldiers. Soldiers from the battalion have deployed to Iraq in 2006-2007 and to Kuwait in 2021 and 2022.
The Americans will be among 125 foreign soldiers from 15 countries who are participating in this exercise.
The participating militaries are part of the Conference of American Armies, an international military organization made up of Armies from the American continents, which hosts regular conferences and exercises. Brazil’s army is currently chairing the conference.
The Brazilian Army has assigned 1,700 troops, 13 patrol boats and four helicopters to the exercise, which will take place in areas across Parana State, according to Capt. Stephanie Fernandez, one of the exercise planners.
Parana State is located in southern Brazil and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and Paraguay on the west.
According to the Brazilian military, the drill will simulate a variety of natural disasters, to include operating field hospitals, rescuing people from flooding and landslides, and providing emergency medical aid, food, and water to survivors.
This is the third year the Brazilian military has conducted this exercise. This year, according to the Brazilian military, they want to integrate foreign assistance into the training exercise.
The New York National Guard medical personnel, along with troops from the other nations, which include Mexico, Spain, Portugal, and Columbia, are part of that effort.
1st Sgt. Amanda Eldred, the top enlisted leader for the 466th, and Fernandez, participated in a logistics planning conference for Operation Parana III in May.
One hundred New York Air National Guard Airmen will deploy to Campo Grande Brazil from August 16 to 27 to take part in Brazil’s Operation Tapio, a combat search and rescue training exercise.
This is the third year that the New York National Guard has participated in the mission.
The bulk of the Airmen participating in the exercise come from the 106th Rescue Wing. The wing, which operates from F.S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, specializes in search and rescue operations.
The 106th will be deploying two HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters and an HC-103J Combat King II search and rescue aircraft, for the training mission.
The 106th will also be sending members of the wing security forces squadron and intelligence elements to participate in the training, according to Capt. Michael Meegan, one of the exercise planners.
Airmen from the 105th Airlift Wing, based at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, will move the 106th’s helicopters and some personnel to and from Brazil onboard two of the wing’s C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlifters.
The 107th Attack Wing, which is based at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station in western New York and flies the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft, will deploy Airmen trained to operate these aircraft who will work with their Brazilian Air Force counterparts, Meegan said.
The 107th will also deploy Airmen who specialize in directing air strikes on ground targets to participate in the training, he said.
A specialist in recovering downed aircrew members from the New York Army National Guard’s 42nd Infantry Division, which is headquartered in Troy, will conduct a virtual class for Brazilian personnel as part of the exercise, Meegan added.
The State Partnership Program pairs state National Guards with other country’s militaries for joint training and exchange programs.
The program was created as a way to help Communist bloc countries learn how democratic militaries function.
New York has a State Partnership with the Republic of South Africa, and also has a bilateral training agreement with the Israeli Homefront Command.
| Date Taken: | 08.09.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 08.10.2023 10:03 |
| Story ID: | 450925 |
| Location: | QUEENSBURY, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 93 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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