U.S. Navy Conducts Mass Casualty Drill with Peruvian Military

LIMA, PERU

10.11.2019

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Peter Lewis 

Navy Public Affairs Support Element East - (Active)

LIMA, Peru (October 11, 2019) – The Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2019 Medical Engagement Team (MET) conducted a mass casualty drill with Peruvian military medical personnel, October 11.

After a week of classroom and practical training on topics including tactical combat casualty care (TCCC), massive hemorrhage control, and patient movement, the Peruvian medics were able put their skills to the test. The mass casualty drill involved treatment of a large group of service members with simulated injuries such as lacerations, fractures, and penetrating injuries.

“I liked the training. It was excellent,” said Peruvian Marine Infantry 1st Technician Roger Auccapina Cardenas. “The American team was great. I wish we had more time to train with them. I learned a lot of things I had no knowledge of prior to this course.”

The U.S. Navy medical professionals agreed that their Peruvian counterparts performed well and were more than up to the task of treating all presented injuries.

“The subject matter exchanges went very well. We were able to collaborate with several of the branches of the Peruvian armed forces, and we were able to incorporate their equipment, including light armored vehicles, into the training” said Lt. Harun Lucas, a MET member, from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. “I think that in the future when we have to work together, we have a better understanding of our capabilities, and have been able to improve our skills during this course.”

SPS is an annual series of U.S. Navy deployments focused on exchanges with regional partner nation militaries and security forces. SPS 19 consists of fly-away deployments of adaptive force packages to Barbados, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras and Peru to conduct training and subject matter expert exchanges to improve capacity in medical, dive operations, and engineering.

SPS is part of U.S. Southern Command’s Enduring Promise initiative and reflects the United States’ enduring promise of friendship, partnership and solidarity with the Caribbean, Central and South America. U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet is committed to supporting the efforts of partner nations to increase institutional capacity and regional collaboration for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief – one of the greatest challenges facing the region.

For more information and news from U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command & U.S. 4th Fleet, visit https://www.navy.mil/local/cusns/, https://www.faxcebook.com/NAVYSOUS4THFLT/, and https://www.twitter.com/NAVSOUS4THFLT/.

Get more information about the Navy from US Navy Facebook or Twitter.

• Date Taken: 10.11.2019
• Date Posted: 10.14.2019 22:53
• Story ID: 347625
• Location: LIMA, PE