RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- The U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa Global Health Engagement (GHE) team hosted for the first time a four-day multilateral medical event at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center’s European Medical Simulation Center, Germany, April 22-25, 2025.
The event brought together military medical professionals from Kosovo, Armenia, Albania and Moldova, to exchange ideas and improve their understanding of simulation training, equipment usage and common practices.
“This is filling a gap that we saw to create regional solutions for some of our partner nations,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Joseph Juscius, GHE team international health specialist. “It’s one thing for the U.S. to support partner nations and then for them to support us. But, two countries in the same region might experience the same problems or same natural disasters so getting these partners to work with us and each other benefits all parties.”
The GHE team consists of 13 personnel spanning both Europe and Africa. A critical part of their mission is to enhance interoperability by helping partner nations build up their own health system capabilities.
“Some countries already have simulation centers and want to improve it, while others don't have them and are looking to develop one in order to support their forces,” Juscius said.
The event itself was a joint effort between the GHE team and the U.S. Army’s European Medical Simulation Center (EMSC).
“This is our first exercise together,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Kirk Giles, EMSC chief. “We invited the partner nations here to see how our medical training program works, how we execute it and the equipment we use. This is all in hopes that they can take this knowledge back to their home units and build a training program that fits their needs.”
The event began with a classroom style session focused on how to build, accredit and manage a simulation center. This was followed by two days of hands-on demonstrations at the EMSC, learning Tactical Combat Casualty Care, tourniquet application, evacuation techniques and practicing the initial trauma assessment using the Massive Hemorrhage, Airway, Respiration, Circulation, Hypothermia algorithm.
The event culminated with a medical course where the participants had to simulate transporting a patient from the point of injury to final care while under attack.
“This not only tested their skills, but also gave them familiarity working with other partner nations,” Juscius said.
This event illustrated the commitment of the U.S. to support partners and allies and enhance medical readiness across Europe.