The Vicenza Military Community teamed up with host nation emergency management agencies May 6-7 to conduct its annual Italian-American full-scale exercise.
During the two-day Lion Response '15, several simulated events provided emergency planners and responders an opportunity to work with their host nation counterparts to test and refine the garrison's force protection and consequence management plans while exercising the interoperability between USAG Vicenza and the Italian authorities.
Addressing local media about the exercise, US Army Garrison Vicenza Commander Col. Robert Menist stressed the importance of the exercise in building strong relationships between the garrison and local emergency management agencies.
"Our two communities have to be intertwined in all of our efforts, especially in emergency management situations such as this, where there are casualties and health at risk," Menist said. "It's great that we have been able to have the SUEM and other Italian agencies here to provide care to our simulated wounded during this exercise."
Since its inauguration in 1999, the annual full-scale exercise has tested integration of Italian first-responders, emergency services and health professionals with U.S. capabilities for a variety of scenarios.
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