Photo By Sgt. Rachel Grothe | Sgt. Graeme Hallows, nurse, 256 Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, London,...... read more read more
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KA’U, Hawaii-- The culture of Hawaii, is to welcome any person onto the island with open arms. The international service members, have had no less of an experience as some visit Hawaii for the first time, in support of Tropic Care 2016, while participating in the Military Reserve Exchange Program.
MREP provides reserve service members the opportunity to experience training in a mobilized status while enhancing their ability to work and communicate alongside host nation counterparts. Service members will receive a group here in the United States where those international service members will have the opportunity to train with American forces. When the time comes, the roles will be reversed as the American service members travel to the host nation to train with them.
“MREP gives reservists an opportunity, first hand, to see how other countries operate and train,” said U.S. Army Master Sgt. Andrew Ryan, international programs senior non-commissioned officer. “It provides dedicated time with the host Army unity and partnered Soldier, and the exchange of information and knowledge is invaluable.”
United Kingdom Maj. Olivia Egan, Royal Army Medical Corp, 256 London Field Hospital, was selected to be a part of the exchange program.
“It’s an opportunity for both countries to exchange their reservists and give them an opportunity to work alongside our allies and work in a different environment for us to gain experience and insight,” she explained. “In this particular environment, how the U.S. health service operates and then for the U.S. counterparts to come across and experience how we do things in the U.K.”
To be able to be selected for the program, applicants must put in an application and meet several requirements in order to be considered.
“There is an application and it is inviting professional reservists to link up with our NATO service members who are reservists also,” said U.S. Army Maj. Daniel Copp, 1984th U.S. Army Hospital Pacific, Detachment 2, Fort Shafter Flats, Hawaii, who also was selected as a participant. The program is open to any field not just medical personnel.
This type of partnership, can not only raise cohesion, but it gives an opportunity to service members to learn how other countries handle similar situations. With the partnerships, usually friendships are formed, as individuals work together for an extended period of time.
“I think it’s very important to develop that collaborative and that multi-national working relationship,” said Egan. “We have worked so close alongside the U.S. in recent years both in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it’s a fantastic opportunity to continue that partnership outside of an operational environment.”
If reservist or National Guard Soldiers are interested in applying, they can find more information at www.people.mil/Deputates/Readiness,Training,Mobilization/MilitaryReserveExchangeProgram.aspx
| Date Taken: | 06.07.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 06.08.2016 23:44 |
| Story ID: | 200451 |
| Location: | KA'U, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 134 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Building international cohesion, by SGT Jessica DuVernay, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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