US Army, Bangladesh advance partnership, charting path for future integration

By 1st Lt. Maddy GonzalezJanuary 29, 2026

2026 01 21 18th TMC CG Visits Bangladesh
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. E. Darrin Cox, 18th Theater Medical Command commander, tours the Jalalabad Cantonment and Combined Military Hospital with Bangladeshi military officials and U.S. Embassy Dhaka officials in Sylhet, Bangladesh, Jan. 21, 2026. The tour allowed the leaders to jointly assess medical capabilities and identify shared opportunities for future integration. (U.S. Army photo by 18th Theater Medical Command) (Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL

DHAKA, Bangladesh — U.S. Army Maj. Gen. E. Darrin Cox, commander of the 18th Theater Medical Command, met with senior military and diplomatic officials Jan. 18-22, 2026, to advance the medical partnership between the U.S. Army and the Bangladesh Armed Forces.

“Our partnership with the Bangladesh Armed Forces is built on a foundation of mutual respect and shared interests in regional stability,” said Cox. “By collaborating on critical medical training for events like health crises and natural disasters, we are strengthening our combined readiness to meet future challenges together.”

2026 01 20 18th TMC CG Visits Bangladesh
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Maj. Gen. E. Darrin Cox, 18th Theater Medical Command commander, meets with Bangladesh Armed Forces Division Principal Staff Officer Lt. Gen. S M Kamrul Hassan in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Jan. 20, 2026. They discussed opportunities for their forces to train together in advanced trauma care and disaster relief, strengthening their combined readiness for future health crises. (Photo by Bangladesh Armed Forces) (Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL
2026 01 21 18th TMC CG Visits Bangladesh
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Maj. Gen. E. Darrin Cox, 18th Theater Medical Command commander, tours the Jalalabad Cantonment and Combined Military Hospital with Bangladeshi military officials and U.S. Embassy Dhaka officials in Sylhet, Bangladesh, Jan. 21, 2026. The tour allowed the leaders to jointly assess medical capabilities and identify shared opportunities for future integration. (U.S. Army photo by 18th Theater Medical Command) (Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL

The week’s engagements combined strategic discussions with on-the-ground medical insight. Cox met with senior leaders to include Bangladesh Armed Forces Division Principal Staff Officer Lt. Gen. S M Kamrul Hassan; Bangladesh Army Director General of Medical Service Maj. Gen. Quazi Md Rashid-Un-Nabi; Bangladesh Armed Forces 17th Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. Md Alimul Amin; and U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen.

The visit also included tours of military medical facilities in Dhaka and Sylhet, where Cox spoke with patients receiving advanced trauma care and observed a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear medical response demonstration.

The engagements laid the groundwork for future expert exchanges and joint exercises focused on advanced trauma training, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and CBRN response.

2026 01 21 18th TMC CG Visits Bangladesh
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Maj. Gen. E. Darrin Cox, 18th Theater Medical Command commander, speaks with a patient at the Jalalabad Cantonment and Combined Military Hospital in Sylhet, Bangladesh, Jan. 21, 2026. The visit provided an opportunity for U.S. and Bangladeshi leaders to jointly assess medical capabilities and identify shared opportunities for future integration. (U.S. Army photo by 18th Theater Medical Command) (Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL
2026 01 21 18th TMC CG Visits Bangladesh
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Maj. Gen. E. Darrin Cox, 18th Theater Medical Command commander, stands with Bangladeshi military and medical personnel following a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) medical response demonstration in Sylhet, Bangladesh, Jan. 21, 2026. The demonstration provided key insights into Bangladeshi medical response capabilities, informing future collaboration to advance shared health security goals. (U.S. Army photo by 18th Theater Medical Command) (Photo Credit: Courtesy) VIEW ORIGINAL

“The opportunity to witness our partners’ medical capabilities firsthand, from facility tours to their CBRN demonstration, was invaluable,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Ed Donnarumma, the 18th TMC health engagements officer traveling with Cox. “That direct insight is fundamental for us to effectively plan future medical engagements that advance our shared health security and strengthen our partnership.”

The 18th TMC enables a ready, forward-deployed medical force in the Indo-Pacific by providing command and control of theater medical units, health system support, and force health protection: capabilities honed through persistent integration with host-nation partners and rigorous joint exercises.