U.S., Netherlands, and Belgian forces host medical exercise in preparation for Exercise Flintlock 2024

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Sierra A. Melendez | Personnel from 30th Medical Brigade and U.S. Army Special Operations Command – Africa along with Dutch and Belgian Preventive Medicine units pose for a photo during a multinational field training exercise. The exercise, which focuses on the preventive medicine response following a disaster scenario, builds interoperability between nations while allowing multinational preventive medicine specialties to train on individual tasks.  

NETHERLANDS

10.30.2023

Courtesy Story

Special Operations Command Africa

Texel, Netherlands – U.S. Special Operations Command Africa participated in a multinational field training exercise from September 24-30, 2023, in Texel, Netherlands. In preparation for the upcoming Exercise Flintlock 2024, U.S., Netherlands, and Belgian forces assembled to conduct preventative medical training.

The Joint Multinational Force Health Protection Training event amassed 25 personnel from SOCAFRICA and U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s 71st Medical Detachment, 30th Medical Brigade, alongside Netherlands and Belgian FHP units to hone preventative medicine skills following a crisis scenario focusing on initial entry operations. This will help to strengthen allied interoperability and medical knowledge between the partner forces. This training allowed the allied partners to share best practices and identity critical gaps on emerging threats impacting the present and future battlefield.

“This event allowed the participants to form a better understanding of regulatory requirements, procedures, capabilities, and thought processes across the three nations, and served as a critical training prior to supporting future Flintlock exercises,” said Maj. Phillip George, commander of the 71st Medical Detachment. “We hope to continue these combined exercises to further build our knowledge base and camaraderie between preventive medicine assets across NATO.”

This Joint Multinational FHP exercise served as a follow-on engagement to February’s Preventative Medicine Pre-Deployment event held with U.S. and Netherlands forces. Building upon the February engagement, the partnership expanded the FHP exercise to include Belgian partners. This partnership highlights the value of Exercise Flintlock and its ability to build enduring relationships that extend far beyond the exercise.

“The opportunity for SOCAFRICA to cross train with international partners and allies not only enhances our own interoperability and capabilities but demonstrates the larger enduring resolve of NATO members and non-NATO partners to support and empower our African partners as they continue to enhance capacity and interoperability across northwest Africa,” said Maj. Adam DeMarco, lead planner of Flintlock 2024. “Exercise Flintlock 24 is going to be the largest engagement of African and international partner special operations forces in history and the FHP teams’ strengthened collaboration will greatly contribute to the overall success of the exercise.”

This engagement not only enhances interoperability efforts between the three forces for Flintlock, but also for U.S. European Command’s Defender Europe exercise as well. Both military events will enable continued security cooperation in the African and European areas of responsibility.

“Being able to take part in this exercise was a real opportunity for us. We were able to compare our working methods and learn from each other. I hope that our approach as veterinarians within the FHP was also an added value for our American and Dutch colleagues,” said Belgian Vet Capt. Van Leeuw Corine. “This collaboration is extremely enriching, and we look forward to repeating the experience.”

The role of the FHP teams at Flintlock will be to identify, document, and mitigate environmental and occupational health exposures that pose a risk to the force and mission.

Hosted next year in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, Exercise Flintlock is U.S. Africa Command’s premier and largest annual special operations exercise focused on enabling our African partners to conduct counterterrorism operations while adhering to the rule of law to enable a safe, secure, and prosperous Africa.

• Date Taken: 10.30.2023
• Date Posted: 10.30.2023 05:22
• Story ID: 456752
• Location: NL