UGANDA: U.S. ARMY HAS CARRIES OUT JOINT MILITARY EXERCISES WITH UGANDA TO ASSESS THE COUNTRY'S MILITARY AND CIVILIAN SERVICES READINESS TO HANDLE DISASTERS

Record ID: 394231

  • Title: UGANDA: U.S. ARMY HAS CARRIES OUT JOINT MILITARY EXERCISES WITH UGANDA TO ASSESS THE COUNTRY'S MILITARY AND CIVILIAN SERVICES READINESS TO HANDLE DISASTERS
  • Date: 2nd September 2002
  • Summary: (W8) ENTEBBE, SOROTI, UGANDA (AUGUST 28 29, 2002) (REUTERS) 1. SLV PEOPLE LYING KNOCKED DOWN BY VEHICLES IN ACCIDENT SIMULATION 2. INJURED MAN LYING IN VEHICLE 3. VARIOUS SOLDIERS TALKING BY VEHICLES 4. VARIOUS PARAMEDICS ATTENDING PEOPLE ON STRETCHERS 5. PARAMEDICS LIFTING INJURED INTO MILITARY AIRCRAFT 6. MORE
  • Embargoed: 17th September 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ENTEBBE, ENTEBBE AIRPORT AND SOROTI, UGANDA
  • Country: Uganda
  • Reuters ID: LVA7JBTM2DFKKLSQ4MPAOP21DGME
  • Story Text: The U.S. army has recently carried out joint military
    exercises with Uganda to assess the country's military and
    civilian services readiness to handle any disasters in the
    east African nation.

    With about 250 U.S. military personnel deployed, the
    main objective of the U.S.-Ugandan operation, codenamed
    Medflag 2002, was to exercise long range deployment planning
    and execution of a medical crisis response team and to provide
    an opportunity for medical personnel of the US and Uganda to
    train in areas of mutual medical interest.

    The highlight of the ten-day exercise was the simulation
    of a road accident in Soroti in northern Uganda, where Ugandan
    police, military and red cross personnel were to evaluate and
    evacuate the wounded via a helicopter to the nearest hospital.

    For the Ugandan personnel, this was a unique opportunity
    to work alongside top military and medical experts, and the
    Americans got a rare chance to come across tropical diseases.

    According to United States army Colonel Rebecca Brown, the
    army gets "a tremendous amount" out of it. "Our medics are
    able to see diseases that they normally never see, for
    instance, full blown measles and a lot of tropical diseases
    that they normally just don't see. They also have an
    opportunity to provide the logistics and get the supplies
    ready to mobilise and deploy. And that's a very important
    aspect," she said.

    The U.S. trainers were bombarded with questions by eager
    Ugandans as the operations continued and could be overheard
    giving detailed descriptions of the progress. "It determines
    again, who you think these patients are, and what resources
    you have so you can save the most lives with the least
    expenditure and resources. So those patients who are sickest
    get treated here first, then from here they go to surgery,"
    said one.

    Speaking to Reuters U.S. army reserve major Gregory
    Neverson summed up the aims of the entire exercise. "The
    purpose of this is to co-ordinate effort and with regards to
    medical, social services, police, fire, that is primary focus
    for our training here."
    Neverson is a New York City Patrolman in real life and he
    recalled having to deal with the attacks on New York on
    September 11.

    "I have had some experience dealing with hazardous
    disasters through of course Sept 11. One of the things, my
    primary responsibility was as patrol officer when that
    occurred that morning was to ensure that people felt safe. Our
    general responsibility is the movement of people through the
    railroad systems, buses and also in lower subway systems," he
    told Reuters.

    The United States and British trainers also conducted
    formal training for the Ugandans in disaster centre
    co-ordination, radio operations and managing an operations
    centre.

    The last US-Uganda exercise took place in 1997 at a
    military training academy in Mubende, where the Ugandan forces
    were trained in peacekeeping techniques.


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