NAVAL STATION LEOVIGILDO GANTIOQUI, Republic of the Philippines - Medical personnel are an important part of a combat unit, and in order to accomplish their mission it is necessary to understand the equipment at their disposal.
U.S. Navy corpsman shared knowledge of their medical equipment with Philippine service members at Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui, San Antonio, Zambales, Republic of the Philippines Oct. 8 during Amphibious Landing Exercise 2014.
The corpsmen with 3rd Medical Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, currently assigned to logistics combat element, 3d Marine Expeditionary Brigade, III Marine Expeditionary Force, showed their Philippine counterparts the various pieces of gear used by U.S. corpsmen while in the field.
"We're like an emergency room for the field," said Navy Lt. Charles J. Kinard, an emergency room nurse with the 3rd Medical Bn. "We are equipped with the gear to respond quickly to stabilize a casualty and prepare them for medical evacuation to a medical center."
Bilateral training during PHIBLEX 14 is focused on enhancing interoperability and the readiness of U.S. and Philippine forces.
Such exercises also provide an opportunity for the medical personnel of the participating forces to come together, demonstrate their own capabilities, and find areas where they can improve, according to Philippine Marine Capt. Juland E. Sangoy, a medical officer for the Philippine Marine Corps Surgeon Office.
"Our equipment in the field is limited," said Sangoy. "We can see new equipment, and we can order and set up a better facility in the field to more effectively save lives."
During the exercise, the medical personnel were able to discuss their techniques, according to U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Alex T. Allwein, an emergency room doctor with the 3rd Medical Bn. The communication allowed the personnel to get to know each other better as well as become more capable of working together in the field.
"We're getting to know them on a more personal level, which is good for working together," said Allwein. "By showing them what we are capable of doing they can trust us more and we start building a better relationship with them."
After the tour of the medical facilities, the Philippine corpsmen returned to their camp with new knowledge and plans for the future, according to Sangoy.
"We have learned so much from (the U.S. corpsmen)," said Sangoy. "We can use this knowledge and add it to our own, and improve our own capabilities in the field."
Bilateral Philippine-U.S. military training during PHIBLEX 14 sustains and reinforces the foundation and framework for a bilateral force to respond rapidly and effectively to regional humanitarian crises.