(From left to right) Gen. Tan Sri Dato' Sri (Dr.) Haji Zulkifeli Bin Mohd Zin, Chief of Defense Force, Malaysian Armed Forces, Vice Adm. Raquel C. Bono, Director, Defense Health Agency and Rear Adm. Brian S. Pecha, Command Surgeon, U. S. Pacific Comm...
Brig. Gen. Bertram Providence, commander general, Regional Health Command-Pacific listens to the key note address during the opening ceremony at the 2016 Asia Pacific Military Health Exchange. Providence noted that military health is moving beyond co...
KUANTAN, Malaysia -- The 2016 Asia Pacific Military Health Exchange (APMHE) conducted its opening ceremony August 1, in Kuantan, Malaysia and was co-hosted by Rear Adm. Brian S. Pecha, Command Surgeon, U. S. Pacific Command, and Lt. Gen. Datuk (DR) Haji Abd Razak Bin Md Yosuf, Director General of Health Services, Malaysian Armed Forces.
The APMHE is a multi-lateral military health event that encompasses three previously separate military health meetings.
Its primary goal is to share experiences and increase interoperability among military health teams, incorporating all services and corps/trades, from non-commissioned officers to senior leaders.
"Joint initiatives to combat infectious disease outbreaks, to support peace keeping operations or to provide disaster relief, are becoming greater in number and are becoming more effective," said Vice Adm. Rachel C. Bono, Director of the Defense Health Agency and keynote speaker for this event. "Military to Military partnerships have grown even stronger. The strength and value of these partnerships is evident here today."
More than 400 participants from 28 countries participated in the exchange that included discussions and hands-on breakout sessions for ground, air and maritime forces and were held on Malaysian military bases and on the U.S. Naval Ship Mercy.
In attendance at the APMHE were command surgeons from each of the component commands including U.S. Army Pacific, Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet and U.S. Marine Corp Forces Pacific.
"It is not always that we've had the privilege to welcome so many distinguished people to our shores, and for that we are grateful to the United States Pacific Command for allowing us to co-host this important exchange," said Gen. Tan Sri Dato' Sri (Dr.) Haji Zulkifeli Bin Mohd Zin, Chief of Defense Force, Malaysian Armed Forces and keynote speaker for this event.
The breakout sessions addressed topics most commonly encountered in Humanitarian Aid/Disaster Relief situations and included hands-on simulations in patient movement, disease outbreak, field medical capabilities and polytrauma.
"We are advancing from the didactics of just talking about the different aspects of land warfare and medicine, and are now applying it," said Brig. Gen. Bertram Providence, commander general, Regional Health Command-Pacific. "It shows the maturing of the forces and the maturing of the capabilities in the Pacific which is a win for everyone involved."
Representatives from Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, United States and Vietnam participated in the APMHE.
"I hope that in addition to the educational opportunities offered this week, there is also the opportunity for renewing old friendships and creating new ones," said Bono. "Our Malaysian hosts should be congratulated for this great turnout and the quality of the agenda."
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