Here's how you know
 **Official websites use .mil** .mil
 **Secure .mil websites use HTTPS** lock () https://


Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 Toggle navigation
            
            
            
            
            National Guard
                        Always Ready Always There
                    National Guard
            
            Search National Guard:
                        Search
                    Search
                        Search National Guard:
                            Search
    Home

    News
    
        Guard News

    Overseas Operations

    State Partnership Program

    News Features

    RSS Feeds

    Press Releases

    Transcripts

    Features
    
        Features by Year

    Posture Statement

    State Partnership Program

    Special Features

    About the Guard
    
        How We Began

    Air National Guard

    Army National Guard    
    
        DEERS Soldier Journey

    Leader Development Program

    History and Heritage

    I am the Guard

    NGB Official March

    Leadership
    
        CNGB

    VCNGB

    SEA

    DANG

    DARNG

    Joint Staff    
    
        J-1

    J-2

    J-3

    J-4

    J-5

    J-6

    J-7

    J-8

    Personal Staff    
    
        Inspector General

    General Counsel

    Public Affairs

    Executive Support Services

    Legislative Liaison

    Special Staff    
    
        National Guard Office of Special Victims' Counsel

    Office of the Provost Marshal

    Office of the Joint Surgeon

    Director of Acquisitions

    Small Business Programs

    Chaplain

    Senior Leader Management Office

    Diversity Equity Inclusion

    Comptroller

    Resources    
        National Defense Strategy Implementation Guidance

    Community Engagement

    FOIA

    Fact Sheets

    Helpful Links

    Image Gallery
    
        News Images

    Graphics

    Historical Paintings

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    Legislative Liaison

    Small Business Programs

    Social Media

    State Websites

    Videos    
    
        Featured Videos

    On Every Front

    2019 Videos

    2020 Videos

    2021 Videos

    Suicide Prevention

    Family Programs

    Environmental

    Trial Defense Service

    Holistic Wellness Challenge

    Contact Us  Home
  News
  Article View
 
 Download
 Details
 Share
 NEWS
 Oklahoma National Guard, Azerbaijan hold SPP exchange By Tech. Sgt. Brigette Waltermire,
                137th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
 OKLAHOMA CITY – Five doctors with the Azerbaijan Operational Capabilities Concept Battalion exchanged medical knowledge with the Oklahoma Army and Air National Guard March 28-April 1. The Guardsmen provided a comprehensive picture of U.S. military standards of care, from the point of injury to Role 4 care, as part of the knowledge exchange under the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program. According to NATO doctrine, Roles 1-4 represent the four tiers in which medical support is organized, on a progressive basis, to conduct treatment, evacuation, resupply and functions essential to maintaining the health of the force. Medical capabilities become greater and more specialized with each tier, with Role 1 being a basic needs field clinic and Role 4 a fully functioning hospital. Ten Guard units came together to create the joint event. Army support involved the OKNG Regional Training Institute; 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment; the 2nd Battalion 245th Aviation Battalion; the State Aviation Office; OKARNG G1; OKARNG Medical Readiness Detachment; and State Partnership Program office. Air National Guard participants included members of the 137th Special Operations Medical Group (SOMDG), the 137th Special Operations Support Squadron and the 137th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron. “We wanted to show Azerbaijan the NATO medical evacuation process past a Role 2 facility,” said Maj. Carl Beyer, deputy director of the OKARNG G1. “The long-term goal is any partner we fight alongside has the same standard of care at the point of injury before getting to any medical facility, so this knowledge exchange was to demonstrate what we do and what is expected for NATO interoperability.” First, Soldiers with the OKARNG set up a Role 1 scenario with a mannequin acting as a Soldier who had been shot. Medics from the RTI brought the victim to safety and stabilized his condition so he could be moved for treatment at a higher role. Another scenario involved the 137th AES evacuating patients on an aircraft to a Role 3 or Role 4 location for long-term care. The 137th AES provided a hands-on demonstration using the static C-130 Hercules trainer at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base. The last scenario covered transferring a patient onto a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. “Our main objective with each engagement was to show the importance of timely care in saving lives — not just care given but the speed at which it is given,” Beyer said. “What we hope the Azerbaijan doctors take away from the different demonstrations is the holistic view of how everything nests together and to provide insight on how their current capabilities match some of ours. “They can begin to discuss what they teach their forces and how they teach to make it more NATO interoperable,“ he said. “Their capabilities do not match every step of the process, but they can begin to develop ways to train that allows them to integrate with the parts they are able to contribute to.” This was not the first time the Azerbaijan military has met with Oklahoma National Guard members to discuss military medical capabilities. One of the largest medical engagements was Operation Cherokee Angel in 2007, where members of the 137th Medical Group and the 138th Fighter Wing conducted a humanitarian mission to Azerbaijan. While the focus in 2007 was training, the focus of this most recent exchange was to learn how the Azerbaijan military trains its troops and what levels of care are within their capabilities. “The amount of time they have with their entry-level troops is usually far less than what we have with ours,” said Lt. Col. Brian Herb, the air adviser liaison for the 137th SOMDG. “We have four to six years to invest a lot of training hours into our service members, whereas their compulsory service time for the same kind of troops doesn’t allow the same level of training, so our model won’t necessarily work for them.” In addition to being the first medically focused knowledge exchange in more than a decade, this was also the second engagement this year for 137th Special Operations Wing air advisors. “To be at the forefront of a new iteration of SPP events is just awesome,” Herb said. “Air advisers are focused on trying to understand cultural differences of partner nation militaries and work within that cultural framework rather than trying to fit them into American military doctrine. We want to know how the nations we might partner with in future operations can integrate with our forces, but we do not want to change their processes.” Understanding the training doctrine of other militaries can be critical when working in proximity of one another in foreign environments. Members of the Azerbaijan military provided support to Afghanistan for many years. “We were among the last troops who left Kabul International Airport,” said Khazar Ibrahim, Azerbaijan ambassador to the United States. “Our cooperation with (the) Oklahoma National Guard helped us in that direction because our peacekeeping battalion is getting a lot of support.” The ambassador visited the Azerbaijan OCC Battalion troops participating in the knowledge exchange and met with civilian entities for more state partnership endeavors. Additionally, Oklahoma National Guard members traveled to Baku, Azerbaijan, to meet with the Peacekeeping Brigade of Azerbaijan Armed Forces for a strategic planning and unit training management event in early March. Both engagements have shown the importance of a mutual understanding of the skill sets and processes of both militaries. “Their structure is similar to ours for medical support and where the support is aligned in their units,” Beyer said. “However the difference starts with training — who can do what. I think they will discuss future ways to improve point of injury care skill sets at lower levels while maintaining the competency of the troops providing their higher levels of care. That way they can be more NATO interoperable.”
 SHARE
 PRINT
 News about the State Partnership Program
 Details of the State Partnership Program.
 Oklahoma National Guard
 State Partnership Program
 Azerbaijan
 medical knowledge exchange
 
 Oklahoma National Guard Helps with Sulphur Tornado Relief
 By Sgt. Haden Tolbert,
  Oklahoma Guardsmen Face New Adversary in Best Warrior Competition
 By Sgt. Haden Tolbert,
  Oklahoma Guard Explores Future of Drone Defense at Symposium
 By Leanna Maschino,
  More
 Pennsylvania Army Guardsmen Complete Combat Lifesaver Course Guard News • 7 hours ago
 38th Infantry Division Soldiers Conduct Warfighter Exercise Guard News • 14 hours ago
 Puerto Rico Air National Guard Trains at Red Flag-Alaska Guard News • 15 hours ago
 Air National Guard Conducts Sentry Savannah Exercise Guard News • yesterday
 Hawaii Air National Guard Hosts Sentry Aloha Joint Exercise Guard News • yesterday
 2024 (196)  2023 (427)  2022 (526)  2021 (697)  2020 (936)  2019 (387)  2018 (323)  2017 (346)  2016 (245)  2015 (356)  2014 (399)  2013 (469)  2012 (556)  2011 (533)  2010 (1071)  2009 (357)  2008 (638)  2007 (295)  2006 (188)
 Home
 Site Map
 Privacy & Security Policy
 Link Disclaimer
 Web Policy
 DOD Information Quality
 DOD Open GovernmentFOIA
 No FEAR Act
 Accessibility/Section 508
 Contact Us
 Army Guard Careers
 Air Guard Careers
 USA.gov
                    
Staying Connected
    XYouTubeFlickrFacebookInstagram
                 
                
                

Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil