MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU AIR BASE, Romania -When the chaos of disaster ensues, we often put our faith in emergency responders to answer the call and restore order. The various emergency services at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania have a plan to ensure that call is heard loud and clear, and on June 20, 2017 they put that plan to the test in a training exercise.
On a sunny afternoon at MK Air Base participants from the Royal Air Force, US Army, and Romanian Land Forces simulated the effects of a mid-air collision between a Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet and a UH-60 Black Hawk. The start of the event was triggered by smoke grenades going off, and soon after the first responders arrived to see members of all three Allied branches laid out in various states of injury.
The participants in the exercise were the American, Romanian, and British military emergency services currently operating on base, as well as the local civilian emergency services. All of the fire departments worked together to tend to the injured in the immediate area of the Black Hawk. This included getting them clear of the aircraft and hastily and effectively treating their life threatening wounds. As the different fire engines arrived on scene they began to work cohesively with ease.
Royal Air Force Flight Sgt. Lee Suggett, the United Kingdom fire officer attached to the 135th Expeditionary Air Wing, commented on the day's proceedings.
"It was a practical scenario where we brought all of our emergency services together. From the start right through to the end we worked with our counterparts and learned to better understand each other in real time," he said.
The US and British forces are in the country as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, involving the US and its Allies and partners in promoting peace and regional stability across Eastern Europe.
The intensity of the training could be felt on all sides from the responders. From the moment they arrived they moved with speed as though this training exercise was a real disaster. This was shown in their interaction with each other as well. The lines between nations soon disappeared as they moved casualties together, communicating as one large, effective team. The ability to blend together so effectively led to a quick resolution of the situation.
US Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Keith Delaune, the aviation safety officer of the 2nd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, remarked on what could be taken away from the exercise.
"The biggest lesson was communication, getting all emergency services to learn the same lingo. People seemed impressed with the coordination and response times and getting everyone together was a huge feat," he said.
The exercise was successfully concluded in a short amount of time, showcasing the readiness of each department during this first time that some of these teams had worked together. In the event of a future emergency, these teams walked away knowing they could work together quickly and efficiently.
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