Photo By Maj. Jesse Bien | Lithuanian Minister of National Defense, Dovile Sakaliene, meets with US Army Col....... read more read more
VEPRIAI, Lithuania – The 519th Hospital Center, commanded by Col. Avery Carney, hosted the Lithuanian Minister of National Defense, Dovile Sakaliene, and U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Lithuania, Kara C. McDonald, during a site visit to the Swift Response 25 hospital exercise (HOSPEX) at Vepriu Missile Base, May 16, 2025.
The HOSPEX units include the 68th Theater Medical Command, 30th Medical Brigade, 519th Hospital Center, 512th Field Hospital with U.S. Role 3/ NATO Role 2 Enhanced capabilities, 173rd Airborne Brigade Support Medical Company with Role 2 capabilities, 160th Forward Resuscitative Surgical Detachment, and the 7384th Blood Support Detachment.
"The HOSPEX offers an excellent opportunity for our forces to collaborate with medical professionals from different components to accomplish complex tasks in a logistically constrained environment," said U.S. Army Col. Tracy Michael, commander, 68th TMC. "This exercise demonstrates our strong and strategic relationships while improving our agility in a dynamic security environment."
The Honorable Sakaliene and Ambassador McDonald received capability briefings from U.S. Army Col. Tracy Michael, commander of the 68th Theater Medical Command, U.S. Army Col. Anthony King, commander of the 30th Medical Brigade, U.S. Army Col. Avery Carney, commander of the 519th Hospital Center and U.S. Army Lt. Col. John Gorbet, commander of the 512th Field Hospital.
The HOSPEX is also designed to enhance interoperability and tactical coordination among the participating troops. This exercise allowed for testing new tactics and technologies, further strengthening NATO's deterrence and defense capabilities.
During an engagement, Col. Anthony King said, "Working by, through and with our Allies and Partners, we're experimenting with unprecedented concepts in expeditionary medicine to drive needed change and to keep pace with remaining the premier Total Army Medical Force for Europe."
During the visit, the dignitaries witnessed demonstrations of the U.S.'s medical capabilities during simulated medical emergencies. While walking through the 512th Critical Care Corridor, medical care professionals demonstrated triage assessments, conducted casualty management, and performed life-saving techniques.
When conveying the benefits of conducting joint exercises, U.S. Army Lt. Col. John Gorbet expressed with pleasure, "This exercise is an excellent opportunity to really get to know our NATO Partners and allies; we've had Germans, Croatians, Spaniards, and Lithuanians training alongside us. Not only have we learned a lot from each other, but we have also built upon our camaraderie."
To demonstrate medical preparedness, U.S. forces successfully mobilized the 7384 Blood Support Detachment, an Army Reserve unit from Missouri, to Germany to conduct operations in Lithuania. The unit drew its equipment from one of many Army Prepositioned Stock locations throughout Europe.
During an interview, Col. Avery Carney said this about the mobilization of the Blood Support Detachment: " They were able to mobilize, go through their Soldier Readiness Processing (SRP), and when they landed in Germany, they drew their preposition stocks, got their equipment packages, and … two weeks later, they were suppling blood in Lithuania. Now that's impressive."
Large-scale exercises such as Swift Response 25 highlight how interoperability is not just about systems and technology, but also about people, processes, and relationships that build stronger teams and increase combat effectiveness.
During a discussion with the U.S. Commanders, Ambassador McDonald, referencing Lithuania, said, "You won't find better allies. They are a model ally because they're all in."
| Date Taken: | 05.19.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.19.2025 07:04 |
| Story ID: | 498291 |
| Location: | LT |
| Web Views: | 144 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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