CINCU, ROMANIA - At the battalion aid station medical tent in Cincu, Romania, U.S. Army Maj. Edward Eve and Lt. Ross Reede treat Soldiers with the confidence and skill of providers at a top-notch medical facility during Exercise Saber Guardian 2016. Not only are they working to keep Soldiers healthy so they can do their job, but they are also training them to be better combat medics.
Eve and Reede are physician assistants with the medical platoon, 1st Battalion, 163rd Infantry Regiment from Montana National Guard. They are also qualified physician assistants doing the same work in Montana when they are not on military duty. Like many citizen soldiers, they bring valuable professional skills to the military.
Their platoon sergeant, Staff Sgt. Evan Baldwin, recognizes the value of having two dynamic professionals like Eve and Ready as leaders. Baldwin said he takes pride in teaching combat medics who are trained and proficient in their basic Soldier skills with the technical knowledge it takes to save lives on the battlefield. It is that technical knowledge that Baldwin is thankful Eve and Reede can share.
"They are truly exceptional medics," said Baldwin. "They have skills to treat almost anything and help train us to do our jobs better."
Saber Guardian 2016 is a multinational military exercise involving approximately 2,800 military personnel from ten nations. Part of the exercise objective is to build multinational, regional and joint partnership capacity by enhancing military relationships, exchanging professional experiences.
Reede and Eve both said they are glad to be a part of Saber Guardian and mentioned a developing relationship with their Romanian supervisor, Maj. Calaudia Popescu. Popescu is a medical doctor who also treats patients both in and out of the military, who has served in combat zones like Kosovo and Afghanistan.
"It is clear the Romanians are here to support us, and that they know their stuff," Eve said. "I think we are starting to show them our capabilities and it is great to have an evolving relationship."
Whether it's keeping Soldiers healthy in the field, developing skilled combat medics, or sharing knowledge and learning, Eve and Reede provide an example of what National Guard Soldiers can bring to the table.
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