VESZPREM, Hungary --Combat medics from both U.S. and Hungarian forces build close relationships and bring the term "interoperability" to a new level during Brave Warrior 16.
Medics assigned to 4th Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment, Rose Barracks, Germany and 978th Military Police Company, 93D Military Police Battalion, Fort Bliss, Texas, teamed up with 5th Bocksai Istvan Infantry Brigade, Hungarian Defense Forces Sept. 11-21, 2016 for a series of training events at Camp Ujmajor, Veszprem, Hungary.
From extraction of casualties, insertion of intravenous therapy needles, trauma bed operations, to performing a cricothyrotomy, the combat medics have become quite familiar with each other's equipment and patient treatment styles.
Second Lieutenant Yuri Armstrong, medical officer for 4/2, is very adamant on making sure his team improves and sustains their relationship with the Hungarian medics, moving forward into the future.
"My main goal is to have Hungarian and U.S. medics working side by side on the same trauma bed treating a patient," Armstrong said while training with the Hungarians on treatment of trauma on a battlefield casualty.
"What we're doing today with our Hungarian medic allies is paving the way for a better tomorrow. We're shaping tomorrow together as a team through trust; this is where the human aspect of interoperability ties us in to win," he added.
The medics began their cross-training by getting acquainted with each other's litters, medical evacuation vehicles, and a plethora of other patient treatment equipment. Although, Hungarian and U.S. Soldiers have worked together on previous rotations, this group of medics really seemed to break the ice and improve their comfortability with one another.
Each day brought new challenges to the medics as they collectively trained on the proper way to insert IVs (in which both forces practiced their IV insertion techniques on each other), treatment of trauma on a battlefield casualty, placing sutures, and combat life saver scenario based training.
When Specialist Won Lee, combat medic from 978th MP Co., was asked about his perspective on training with their Hungarian counterparts, he said, "during the trauma lanes with Hungarian medics, we could see what they do is technically the same thing we do. We don't necessarily speak the same language, but we communicate with each other through the same skill sets."
Brave Warrior 16 has been an opportunity for both U.S. and Hungarian Army combat medics to build cohesion, improve their combat medic skills, and gain confidence in one another, which in turn, could save many lives in the future.
"We continue to build on the foundation we began at Brave Warrior 15. As we continue to work together, we teach and learn new techniques for taking care of American and Hungarian Soldiers on the battlefield," said Capt. Susan Delozierhooks, 4/2 physician assistant.
Brave Warrior is an annual exercise located in Veszprem, Hungary, designed to increase readiness, improve interoperability and leader development with Hungarian Defense Forces, and enhance the NATO alliance.
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