European Best Medic Competition 2023 concludes

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany – U.S. soldiers and NATO partners participated in the European Best Medic Competition (EBMC) here Dec. 4 to 8, 2023.

The European Best Medic Competition tests competencies, skills, and readiness of European theater medics so they can respond more effectively and efficiently, and the highest winners of U.S. forces are selected to represent the European region at the Army Best Medic Competition in Fort Liberty, North Carolina.

EBMC featured multiple exercises such as: Tactical Combat Casualty Care, Polish Marksmanship Badge, night land navigation, 18-mile Norwegian Ruck March and stress shoot. Each exercise simulated a combat environment, both physically and mentally preparing competitors to react and perform in stressful surroundings.

EBMC exercises consisted of not only medical tasks but also basic soldier capabilities, like returning fire, securing casualties and providing tactical field care. A mystery event is practiced annually to keep competitors on their toes. This year the mystery event was a K9 casualty dog event, where competitors had to provide tactical field care to a TacMed Simulation Canine Medical Trainer within a time limit.

“The candidates did an 18-mile ruck march that led into a stress shoot, wearing them down and seeing if they were still able to complete their range qualification,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Jacob Rodriguez, assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade. “They’re cold, they're tired, and they're hungry then immediately come over here and then do a range qualification. It's just more of a mental game at that point, keeping them pushing forward.”

Competitors worked individually and as teams to test their capabilities and readiness to complete tasks.

EBMC allowed the competitors to learn and train on different skill sets that will significantly improve them on individual and team-based tasks, crucial qualities for military medics working in dynamic and high-pressure situations.

“The challenge does not stop here, today or even with the Army Best Medic Competition. As you return to your home station and back to your soldiers and train them to sustain lethality during Large Scale Combat Operation,” said Sgt. Maj. Christinean Johnson with the Army Medical Center of Excellence. “Think about what you endured, the challenges you faced and the mental toughness that it took to execute your tasks in that environment. Build the training and sustainment that produces the best medic for the team.”

U.S. soldiers were participating in the competition alongside NATO partners, promoting interoperability and readiness that is crucial for multinational military operations. Recognizing and learning the differences in medical practices among different nations' combat medics can enhance the overall capabilities of the combined forces.

“With the other NATO forces, they bring a different expertise because we have people that are like combat medics with 10 years of experience and a surgeon, he gave a different insight and input to the medics,” said Spc. George Rivera, assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division. “I think it's really good, and it brings the morale up, communicating with the other soldiers.”

The EBMC prepared army medics and served as a crucible for promoting collaboration, interoperability, and continuous improvement within the military medical community, highlighting the importance of readiness and having highly capable medical personnel to support the world's most potent and lethal army.

“The world's most powerful and lethal army must have the world's best medical instrument of power supporting them and that medical instrument of power is army medicine,” said Brig. Gen. Roger Giraud, assigned to the Medical Readiness Command, Europe.