Finding friends half a world away

Photo By Tech. Sgt. Jason Van Mourik | Nine Citizen-Soldiers from the Oregon Army National Guard's 224th Engineer Company, and one Citizen-Airman from the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Fighter Wing, conduct a variety of search and rescue scenarios throughout the week-long visit to Vietnam, Sept. 21-28, to include rappelling, rescue hoist operations, casualty extraction and rigging. The Oregon National Guard’s partnership with Vietnam's National Committee for Search and Rescue (VINASARCOM) officially began in November of 2012. This exchange is designed to use the expertise of Oregon's CERFP to enhance the capabilities of VINASARCOM in areas such as light and medium urban search and extraction and medical first response and provides the Oregon National Guard with an opportunity to learn skills and procedures used in Vietnam in times of disaster and emergencies that may not be as common in the U.S. (Oregon Army National Guard Photo by Staff Sgt. Jason van Mourik, Joint Force Headquarters Public Affairs)  

HANOI, VIETNAM

09.25.2014

Story by Staff Sgt. Jason Van Mourik 

Oregon Military Department Joint Forces Headquarters

HANOI, Vietnam – Ten domestic emergency and response experts from the Oregon National Guard's CBRNE Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP) participated in a series of informational and practical exchanges, Sept. 21–28, in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Nine Citizen-Soldiers from the Oregon Army National Guard's 224th Engineer Company, and one Citizen-Airman from the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Fighter Wing traveled halfway across the world to train with, learn from, and engage with Vietnamese engineers of the 249th Engineer Brigade, Vietnam People's Army, through Oregon’s State Partnership Program with Vietnam’s National Committee for Search and Rescue (VINASARCOM). The training includes a variety of search and rescue scenarios including rappelling, rescue hoist operations, casualty extraction and rigging.

The week long exchange not only brought together search and extraction experts from two nations, but also forged friendships to last a lifetime.

“The Oregon SPP with Vietnam is an incredible opportunity for our Citizen-Soldiers to conduct foreign relations training with Vietnam, said Capt. Thanh Vo, 224th Engineer Company commander. “Where in the past we were fighting on opposite sides, today we are exchanging skills to better improve our capabilities to save our fellow countrymen’s lives.”

Facing temperatures in the high 90’s and low 100’s, with humidity so thick you could cut it with a knife, this group of Oregonians continued to not only provide top notch training, but also find the time throughout the day to make personal connections with the 74 Vietnamese engineers they worked with.

“The joint training environment that we worked in with the Vietnamese was beneficial to our Soldiers,” Vo continued. “It provided the opportunity to not only work with people outside of the National Guard, but to learn and train with Soldiers from an entirely different culture.”

Vo said the skills the Oregon Guardsmen learned in bridging communication barriers and creating relationships is key to solidifying the National Guard as a component of the United States’ international presence.

The Oregon National Guard formally began a partnership with Vietnam’s VINASARCOM in November of 2012 through the National Guard State Partnership Program. 

This weeks’ exchange is designed to use the expertise of Oregon's CERFP to enhance the capabilities of VINASARCOM in areas such as light and medium urban search and extraction and medical first response. This partnership also provides the Oregon National Guard with an opportunity to learn skills and procedures used in Vietnam in times of disaster and emergencies that may not be common in the U.S.

• Date Taken: 09.25.2014
• Date Posted: 10.02.2014 01:33
• Story ID: 143981
• Location: HANOI, VN