Courtesy Photo | Warfighter Recovery Network Symposium attendees (Air Force, Navy, Marines, Army,...... read more read more
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The USAFRICOM Personnel Recovery Branch hosted a meeting at Edelweiss Resort and Conference Center, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany from 18 – 23 February 2024. The Warfighter Recovery Network Symposium facilitated USAFRICOM and Partner Nation coordination and mutual support for Personnel Recovery and Casualty Evacuation (PR/CASEVAC) and Emergency Medical Services on the African continent.
The Warfighter Recovery Network (WRN) is a comprehensive PR/CASEVAC and Emergency Medical Services construct that ensures all resources are adequately accounted for to provide lifesaving mechanisms to personnel operating on the continent. By integrating vertical lift aircraft, rescue specialists and fixed wing aircraft from either the US military, US contractors or multinational partners, the WRN Network provides reach (vertical lift), treat (rescue specialists/emergency medical) and evacuate (fixed wing) capabilities to support the USAFRICOM Commander’s Campaign Plan.
Maj Gen Tudor, USAFRICOM J3, opened the Symposium emphasizing the importance and priority USAFRICOM leadership places on ensuring rapid and assured response to isolated or injured service members on the continent. Guest Speaker Shaun Pinner, author of Live, Fight, Survive, told his moving story of being captured by Russian soldiers in Ukraine and how his survival skills helped him to maintain his composure. USAFRICOM Operations Law, Command Surgeons Office, Multinational Command Center, Intel Operations, and Information Operations supported the event with briefings and discussions during tabletop exercises. All USAFRICOM Components were represented as well as the Department of State (DOS) Diplomatic Security Service, Joint Personnel Recovery Agency, Hostage Recovery Fusion cell and industry search and rescue integrators.
The three tabletop exercises discussed were an East Africa rescue scenario, a West Africa rescue scenario and a combined East and West Africa rescue scenario that encompassed all resources to include contract resources, global force management resources (military) and multinational casualty evacuation platforms. These exercises demonstrated how contract PR/CASEVAC, US military rescue and multinational platforms work together in a resource constraint environment to recover injured and isolated personnel. USAFRICOM does not have any MEDEVAC platforms so it is paramount that resources are utilized for a multitude of different missions in order to quickly respond to isolated and injured personnel. Integrating resources for different missions allows the limited aircraft to be utilized at the utmost efficiency. All aircraft always have a rescue specialist (USAF Pararescue or equivalent) on board with a mobile surgical resuscitative surgical team nearby to respond in the quickest time possible.
The WRN Symposium consisted of each nation with an existing Personnel Recovery Memorandum of Understanding (PR MOU) providing an overview of their PR/CASEVAC capabilities and coordination architecture with respect to operations on the continent. Participants then considered several scenarios that highlighted the coordination and communication process of mutual support to incident response and follow-on actions.
An USAFRICOM PR MOU provides a conceptual framework for coordinated mutual support between USAFRICOM and partners on the continent regarding policy, planning, training, and response for PR operations. USAFRICOM PR MOUs save lives but are not legally binding and do not create any rights, obligations, or commitments between parties. PR MOUs create an operational pre-coordinated framework of support and authorities that allow for more effective mutual support during a crisis. USAFRICOM PR MOUs clarify that support from MOU participants is based on availability of capability, resources, and authority to support rescue operations. PR MOUs provide commanders flexibility and decision space to use PR assets to minimize risk and accomplish the mission.
USAFRICOM currently has (11) Memorandum of Understanding agreements (MOUs) with Partners (France, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Great Britain, Belgium, Czech Republic, and Benin) who often operate alongside, or in the same geographic areas as USAFRICOM personnel. Most of those countries with whom we have existing PR MOUs attended as well as others who are considering entering into an agreement with USAFRICOM.
Partner Nation attendees actively participated in the scenario discussions and clarified capabilities, processes, and procedures leading to a much better understanding of mutual support coordination. The Warfighter Recovery Network’s joint combined team of partner nations, contractors, and military personnel stand ready to rescue, recover and provide emergency medical services to those in need on the African continent.
| Date Taken: | 02.23.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.05.2024 08:02 |
| Story ID: | 467872 |
| Location: | GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, DE |
| Web Views: | 128 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, USAFRICOM's Warfighter Recovery Network Symposium Enhances Rescue and Medical Coordination in Africa, by LTC Brianna Kluckman and Lt. Col. Niul Manske, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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