U.S. Forces and Allies Train Side by Side

Photo By Capt. Jerry Duong | Special Troops Battalion medics, 300th Sustainment Brigade, along with Kuwaiti and Qatari Forces receive a briefing during Desert Leopard Medical Training at Task Force Sabah Aid Station, Kuwait, March 3, 2019. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Spc. Samantha Moore)  

KUWAIT

03.03.2019

Story by Capt. Jerry Duong 

184th Sustainment Command

U.S., Kuwait, and Qatari army forces gathered at Task Force Sabah, a Kuwait Army training site, to train side by side to learn the U.S. Army’s Tactical Combat Casualty Care techniques on from March 3-16, 2019, during exercise Desert Leopard.

“This training allows us to establish medical relations between our coalition forces while working together,” said U.S. Army Spc. Stephanie Gonzalez-Rodriguez, 300th Special Troops Battalion medic serving at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. “When we have the opportunity to work together, it allows us to share our combined medical knowledge in order to save lives. Although there are some language barriers, we were able to work together as one unit in order to treat the patients in order to get them to the highest level of care possible.”

During exercise Desert Leopard, U.S. Army medic Soldiers were able to provide health service support to trilateral forces. All Servicemembers involved conducted medical treatment lanes and evacuation exercises to hone skills and develop clinical practice guidelines and standard operating procedures. The exercise promotes interoperability between Kuwait North Military Medical Complex staff members, Task Force Spartan, and the U.S. Military Hospital, Kuwait.

“We shared information and techniques during our training and had a lot of fun during the exercise. It’s allowing us to build confidence in the skills that our counterparts have and visa-versa," Gonzalez-Rodriguez added. "We were able to train, teach, and compare techniques in order to make recommendations, take notes, and make the proper adjustments as needed so that we know we are the best at what we do.”

When all sides contribute ideas and training tools not only do patients benefit, but also the militaries in their entirety. It creates mutual understanding and friendships with our allies, strengthening bonds, while working together as one to accomplish the mission — saving lives.

• Date Taken: 03.03.2019
• Date Posted: 03.24.2019 05:03
• Story ID: 315286
• Location: KW