Boletice, Czech Republic -- Laughing and smiles on the faces of the 15 international medics during familiarization training during Exercise Tobruq Legacy shows how comfortable these soldiers from the U.S., Hungary and the Czech Republic are with one another. This is an example of the close cooperation that has been common throughout this exercise featuring more than 500 Soldiers and airmen.
The main goal of the exercise is to connect five countries' radar systems to a common air picture so that their weapons systems can engage possible targets during a live fire event, but the medics are taking the advantage of the international learning opportunity in front of them.
Not only are the exercise participants working together but the medics who are here to support them just in case someone gets injured, are discovering the similarities and differences of each country's equipment and techniques.
"I think it's pretty cool to train with other countries, and to see that we have a lot of similarities, and actually some of the Czech soldiers have been through our training, so a lot of their training mirrors ours," said Staff Sgt. Crystal Curry, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, medical NCOIC for exercise Tobruq Legacy.
Two of the soldiers have something else in common, neither Staff Sgt. Curry nor Dr. Capt. Filip Rudisch a Czech soldier and surgeon have been to an international exercise before, but they both learned a common lesson.
"It's the most important part of this training, to work together. We all are professionals but when we are abroad we have to work together," said Rudisch.
Whether they are trying to use tourniquets or neck braces, the medical principals are the same and they all work toward achieving the same goal, saving lives. They just do it using slightly different methods.
"I would be 100% confident that they're treating me the same way that we treat our Soldiers," Curry added.
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