US Military and USDF Launch MEDFLAG 2009

August 25, 2009

Members of USDF in the MASCAL Simulation                       See more photos

MBABANE - The MEDFLAG 2009 military exercise which is a joint partnership between the US Army and Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force (USDF) kicked off in Swaziland on August 3, 2009. The MEDFLAG began with an opening ceremony held at the Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force (USDF) Headquarters situated at Nokwane. This military exercise ran  from August 3 - 14, 2009.

MEDFLAG is a disaster preparation, response and medical outreach exercise conducted by the U.S. Department of Defense annually in Africa.  It aims to improve the capabilities of the military and other agencies to respond to crises and to work together.

The first week of the MEDFLAG exercise focused on classroom training on tropical diseases and disaster medical planning operations. This all culminated in a mass casualty exercise (MASCAL) conducted at the USDF headquarters on August 6, 2009. In the MASCAL simulation, there was an ‘explosion’ and members of the USDF were the first responders to the scene. They triaged and treated ‘victims’ played by the US military personnel before preparing them for transportation to a medical center. Army Deputy Commander, Robert T. Moeller was an observer during the MASCAL exercise.

The second week of the MEDFLAG focused on civic and humanitarian outreach. On August 7-13, the MEDFLAG team of medical doctors, dentists, veterinarians and other medical personnel travelled to each of Swaziland’s four regions to offer free medical treatment to residents of the chosen communities. These communities were Hhohho-Mhlangatane, Shiselweni-Mkhwakhweni, Manzini-Mafutseni west and Lubombo-Maloma. This concluded with a total number of 1700 people receiving treatment and approximately 10 000 domestic animals treated. These domestic animals included cattle, goats, sheep and dogs. PSI Swaziland also counseled and tested 244 people for HIV/AIDS in all the sites that had been visited by the MEDFLAG team.

The MEDFLAG exercise concluded on Friday, August 14 with a formal closing ceremony at the USDF headquarters. A ceremony marking the closure of the exercise was attended by a number of officials from the Ministry of Health and Agriculture who had provided the military with technical support during the outreach exercise.

Also present was the US Military personnel Major General William Garrett who was a key speaker at the ceremony. The General in his speech noted how they had been warmly welcomed in the country and expressed his gratitude for the warm hospitality and the hard work and openness that the local army showed to the US Military. He added that it was this attitude displayed by the local army that attributed to the success of the event. Major Garret pledged that the US Military would continue working side by side with national and international partners to promote peace, security and stability in Africa, and of course Swaziland.