Courtesy Photo | From July 15-19, 2024, instructors from the Defense Institute for Medical Operations...... read more read more
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MONROVIA, Liberia – From July 15-19, 2024, instructors from the Defense Institute for Medical Operations (DIMO), located at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, conducted a disaster planning basic course in Monrovia, Liberia. The course was attended by 21 representatives from Government of Liberia agencies, including the National Disaster Management Agency, the Liberia National Police, the Armed Forces of Liberia’s 23rd Infantry Brigade, the Liberian Ministry of Health, the Liberian Ministry of Defense, the Liberian Immigration Service, and the National Public Health Institute of Liberia.
The DIMO team was augmented by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Anthony Woodruff, a subject matter expert from the Michigan Air National Guard, to leverage the 15-year State Partnership Program between Michigan and the Armed Forces of Liberia. Many National Guard members serve part-time, which means they often bring valuable skills from their civilian occupations to the partnership, in addition to military training. In Woodruff’s case, his skills as a command and control specialist with the Michigan Air National Guard’s 217th Air Operations Group are amplified by experience as a civilian firefighter and other relevant qualifications.
The disaster planning course was designed to address security cooperation goals established by the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) to support Government of Liberia efforts to strengthen key leader training and develop national and local response capability to disasters and other emergencies. Instructors said the learning environment was characterized by lively discussion and two-way exchange.
“Something that was really amazing for us was to understand that in this class, we had participants who had experienced civil wars, the response to Ebola, COVID-19, and many other natural disasters and emergencies,” said Maryann Veitch, course director. “Liberia is home to some very resilient people, and hearing their stories, you can learn a lot from them.”
Course objectives were met by providing instruction and training to class participants on how to plan, coordinate, and develop risk mitigation efforts and response plans for man-made and natural disasters.
Liberian participants had positive feedback for the event, citing collaboration and interagency communication before a disaster occurs as a key best practice to mitigate risk.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to attend the recent Disaster Planning Basic Course that was facilitated by DIMO. It was both an enlightening and enriching experience,” said Mr. Augustine Kollie, director for administration, Liberia National Defense Management Agency. “The knowledge and skills imparted will be invaluable in my professional development, and I am eager to implement what I have learned in Liberia in order to build a resilient nation.”
According to team leader U.S. Army Lt. Col. William Craig, the enrichment was mutual. The visiting U.S. instructors also made time during their stay to familiarize with Liberia’s culture and heritage, including a visit to the National Museum of Liberia.
“I came to Liberia for the mission,” Craig said, “but I’m leaving here with an appreciation for the country, its history, and who the people of Liberia really are.”
| Date Taken: | 09.27.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.27.2024 04:52 |
| Story ID: | 481923 |
| Location: | MONROVIA, LR |
| Web Views: | 290 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Defense Institute for Medical Operations, Michigan Air National Guard bring disaster planning course to Liberia, by Capt. Andrew Layton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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