U.S. Army Africa completes first 2017 MEDRETE

By Staff Sgt. Shejal PulivartiFebruary 27, 2017

U.S. Army Africa completes first 2017 MEDRETE
1 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Reserve Brig. Gen. Kenneth H. Moore, the deputy commanding general for U.S. Army Africa and commander of its Army Reserve Engagement Cell, salutes a Senegalese Armed Forces Platoon upon entering the Hospital Militaire De Ouakam in Dakar, Se... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
U.S. Army Africa completes first 2017 MEDRETE
2 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Senegalese Armed Forces junior officer Lt. Dominique Oudiane, Col. Serigne Namadou Sarre, surgeon general of the Senegalese Armed Forces, U.S. Army Reserve Brig. Gen. Kenneth H. Moore, the deputy commanding General for U.S. Army Africa and commander ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
U.S. Army Africa completes first 2017 MEDRETE
3 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Hospital Militaire De Ouakam Chief of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sarr Ibrahima, Hospital Militaire De Ouakam Chief General Surgeon Balla Diop, Col. Serigne Namadou Sarre, surgeon general of the Senegalese Armed Forces, U.S. Army Reserve Bri... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
U.S. Army Africa kicks off first MEDRETE for 2017: American, Senegalese medical professionals treat patients, hone skills
4 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Senegalese Dr. Balla Diop (left), the chief surgeon, and Vermont Air National Guard physician assistant Lt. Col. Stephen Buergin (right), conduct an umbilical hernia repair during Medical Readiness Training Exercise 17-1 at La Sante des Armees Hospit... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
U.S. Army Africa kicks off first MEDRETE for 2017: American, Senegalese medical professionals treat patients, hone skills
5 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Senegalese dentist Pape Djibril Gueye administers a local anesthetic while Vermont Air National Guard flight surgeon Thomas Sterling and U.S. Army Reserve Master Sgt. Jacqueline Fortin, a dental specialist from the 332nd Medical Brigade in Nashville,... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
U.S. Army Africa kicks off first MEDRETE for 2017: American, Senegalese medical professionals treat patients, hone skills
6 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sengalese Dr. Maky Racine Sy (left) and Vermont Air National Guard Maj. Thomas Sterling (right), a flight surgeon for the 134th Squadron Medical Element, share observations following a series of electrocardiogram readings performed during Medical Rea... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

VICENZA, Italy - Senegalese and American military medical professionals hosted a closing ceremony on the last day of Medical Readiness Training Exercise 17-1 at the Hospital Militaire De Ouakam in Dakar, Senegal, Jan. 25, to highlight the strengthened partnerships.

The 21-day collaborative learning experience was a mutually beneficial exercise that brought together African and U.S. military organizations to foster cooperation while conducting medical tasks and providing health care to the local population.

"It does not matter where you are from, it does not matter your language or background, basic health care is fundamental for a decent life," said U.S. Army Reserve Brig. Gen. Kenneth H. Moore, a deputy commanding general for U.S. Army Africa and the commander of its Army Reserve Engagement Cell, in his speech at the event.

MEDRETE 17-1 was a combined effort between the Senegalese government, U.S. Army Africa, the U.S. Army Reserve 332nd Medical Brigade in Nashville, Tenn., and the Vermont Air National Guard. Through the course of the MEDRETE, the combined team spent more than 64 hours conducting surgeries, medical equipment maintenance, and emergency and dental care, while improving processes and sharing lessons learned.

"I am confident that the exchange of ideas and expertise will help your doctors and nurses with the medical challenges they face on a daily basis, just as much as the exchange helps our care providers where they work," Moore said.

This is the first in a series of medical readiness training exercises this year that U.S. Army Africa is expected to facilitate within a variety of countries in Africa, providing an opportunity for the partnered militaries to train shoulder to shoulder in an alternatively resourced environment.