BRASOV, Romania- During times of crisis, a team must be able to work together competently and quickly to stabilize the sick or wounded. A life may depend on the fast, cohesive care of all allies, even if the members of the team hail from differing countries.
Soldiers with 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, accompanied by the aviation assets of 4-3 Assault Helicopter Battalion, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, joined counterparts from the British, Canadian, and Romanian armies, as well as doctors from each country to conduct a casualty evacuation exercise as part of Operation Sarmis 15, at Cincu, Romania, May 23. The exercise, part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, tested military personnel on their ability to care for and transport wounded service members despite language barriers and training differences.
"In mass casualties and triage situations, we see slight variations between the different countries, so we're trying to get everyone on the same page," said 2nd Lt. Jacob W. Casserino, 2/2 CR Medical Officer, and a native of Purcellville, Virginia. "That way, we can each see how each country works and operates medically."
The medical situation requiring immediate treatment originated at Cincu Training Area, Romania, where the casualty was air-lifted by Black Hawk helicopter to Brasov Garrison. At the garrison, the casualty was transported to Brasov Medical Hospital by ambulance, implementing valuable assets on both land and air to expedite the quickest transport and care possible.
"A joint training exercise like this demonstrates how quickly a patient could be evacuated since a patient would take more than an hour by ground to get from Cincu to Brasov Military Hospital," said CW2 Brandon Harbaugh, a UH-60 Black Hawk pilot, assigned to 4-3 Assault Helicopter Battalion, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, and a native of Everett, Washington.
The exercise was a valuable learning experience for both the NATO allies and American soldiers to learn new skills and information from each other.
"This exercise shows the capabilities of not just aircraft, but all of the ground forces," said Harbough. "2/2 CR doesn't usually work with helicopters, they're used to Strykers and other ground vehicles, so air evacuation is a new learning process for both them and the NATO counterparts."
The soldiers also learned that they can rely on all assets involved, both military and civilian, as all involved united to learn one another's languages, vehicles, equipment, and standard operating procedures. This planning before the exercise ensured that everyone involved in the exercise would be able to competently and expeditiously unite for the shared goal of treating and transporting the casualty.
"As we train and work together we become more comfortable and confident in working with each other," said Harbough. "We are building a great relationship with not just the Romanian army but also with all of the Romanian assets including the Romanian airport personnel in order for us all to contribute to the big picture."
As the exercise came to a conclusion, the four allies reflected on their ability to work together as they learned from one another, continuing to grow as one united team.
"The training was a success and the coordination was good," said Maj. Daniel Derioiu, supervisor of medical evacuation, and an emergency room doctor at Brasov Military Hospital, and a native of Camplung, Romania. "It was a great training exercise because we now can share protocol and values, and understand each other using the same standard operating procedures."
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