Lithuania hosts multinational medevac exercise
Ground assault exercise transitioned into a medical evacuation portion with mock casualties.
The US National Guard has reported on Exercise Saber Strike 17, a combined-forces exercise that transitioned into a medical evacuation exercise with simulated casualties near Sventezeris, Lithuania on June 18.
Soldiers from the Minnesota Army National Guard’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division and British Royal Marines and Polish soldiers conducted a ground assault on defensive forces, portrayed by Lithuanian soldiers, to obtain control of road access. The ground assault transitioned into a medical evacuation portion with mock casualties.
Saber Strike is a US Army Europe-led training exercise in the Baltic region, the Guard explained. The exercise tests the capability of multiple nations to act together against a threat. The US and Polish soldiers and British marines trained as a platoon for two days, rehearsing movements before being flown into a nearby location the day before the evacuation segment.
US Army Lt Col Ryan Meidema, commander of Task Force Phoenix, commented that medevac training is a unique process and all nations should have that experience. He added: “By us bringing in our aircraft, it exposes them to that type of process, radio calls [for support] and how to request it. I’ve sat in meetings and our allies have not had the chance to talk to aircraft on the ground side. It’s mainly their air controllers that talk to aircraft, so bringing in the medevac gives other forces a chance to learn how to speak to the aircraft.”
To watch footage from the exercise, click here.