Georgia National Guard and Georgian Medical teams train together

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class R.J. Lannom | Under the cover of a team member, a Georgian Armed Forces medic provides immediate care to a simulated casualty during urban assault training at the Vaziani Training Center on Aug. 9, 2018 during Noble Partner 18. The exercise provides leaders at all levels the opportunity to train and enhance execution of complex combined operations. U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. R.J. Lannom Jr.  

VAZIANI TRAINING AREA, GEORGIA

08.08.2018

Story by Staff Sgt. R.J. Lannom 

124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

When the Noble Partner exercise began in 2015, it focuses were on small, essential tasks like developing a noncommissioned officer corps and its professional development, basic rifle marksmanship and individual Soldier tasks.

Each year the exercise increased the size, complexity and scope of training with the addition of multiple countries, new and different types of equipment and more difficult training scenarios to enhance the readiness and interoperability the Georgian Armed Forces (GAF).

Noble Partner 18 brought the most challenging and difficult training scenario to date. Georgia Army National Guard’s Marietta based 1st Battalion, 171st Aviation UH-60 Black Hawks and a Georgian Armed Forces UH-1 Iroquois working together to deliver Georgian Soldiers to the objective and transport simulated wounded Soldiers from the battlefield by air and ground at the Vaziani Training Center, Georgia on Aug. 9, 2018.

While aerial insertions of GAF Soldiers have been trained and exercised from the beginning of Noble Partner, Aug, 1, today was the first time the Georgians completed the air planning process to include an air medical evacuation with their rotary assets.

“Previous training exercises our higher level of care of handled by Armenian military forces.” said Lt. Col. Giorgi Tskhovrebashvili, commander, Georgia Armed Forces Medical. “This year we accepted the challenge to provide initial and advanced levels of trauma care for this exercise.”

The Georgians were assisted in planning and refining their processes with the assistance of the 1/171st and their medical planning section.

The air evacuation process, which includes helicopter availability, radio communications, and medical evacuation instruction, began shortly after the start of the exercise.

“When we asked the Georgians what they wanted to do for Noble Partner, they requested a joint helicopter mission where our Black Hawks and their aircraft work together in one operation,” said 1st Lt. Cody A. Eigo, medical operations planner, Headquarters, 1st Battalion, 171st Aviation. “The Georgians worked consistently over the course of this training cycle to accomplish the joint air mission.”

Numerous ground and air medical evacuations were conducted throughout the training under realistic battle conditions, requiring the GAF to exercise command and control of both land and air assets.

The exercise showed how far the professionalism of the Georgia Armed Forces and its members have come over the course of the years hosting Noble Partner.

“Our goal is to conduct these medical operations in compatability with the representatives of other countries.” said Tskhovrebashvili, “We did not have this exerpience prior, but during the four years of training in this exercise we are now compatable with our partners and allies.”

• Date Taken: 08.08.2018
• Date Posted: 08.11.2018 06:39
• Story ID: 288366
• Location: VAZIANI TRAINING AREA, GE