FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. — Two German army officers arrived here, June 14, to participate in and observe Global Medic 2009, the U.S. Army Reserve Command's premier joint medical training exercise.
German army reserve officers Lt. Col. Joachim Wichmann and Maj. Matthias Eppinger were participants in the German-American Reserve Officer's Exchange, a 25-year-old program designed to give both German and American Soldiers a chance to learn the techniques and procedures involved in the other's respective fields.
"We are kind of observers and participants," said Wichmann, medical doctor and foreign exchange officer. "We keep our eyes open and see what you guys do compared with our profession, and exchange the experience that we have with what you have."
The two officers noted a difference in task-level organization, procedures involving the patient, and even triage teams—a relatively new idea for them. Another difference is the amount of nursing staff.
"We don't have such a strong nursing team," said Wichmann. "The overseeing of the patient is normal to manage as a team, and not a nurse [emergency medical technician], or physician's assistant."
This was not their first chance to work with U.S. forces; Wichmann has been deployed in support of operations in Somalia and Eppinger in Afghanistan.
"In Afghanistan, we had an American patient which we cared for a few days and then he got picked up by the Americans from there," said Eppinger, a medical doctor.
Wichmann and Eppinger said they have enjoyed their interactions with the U.S., and have nothing but good to say about their time at Fort Hunter Liggett.
"It's well situated and huge; so many different units are practicing here," said Eppinger. "It's very nice."
Although this was their first time in California, this was not their first visit to the United States. They've both been exchange students already in high school, and have both been back since then.
"We have so much in common and we are so well taken care of here, and it's great the interaction," said Eppinger.
The two will continue on from here to San Antonio, for more exchange related training and of course, Tex-Mex.
| Date Taken: | 06.16.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 06.19.2009 16:03 |
| Story ID: | 35371 |
| Location: | FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 459 |
| Downloads: | 386 |
This work, American - German Reserve Officers Exchange, by SGT Daniel Moon, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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