The Nevada National Guard completed its first State Partnership Program (SPP) exchange mission with its newest partner nation, Samoa, last week. This exchange, a medical engagement, focused on best practices between the Nevada National Guard, Samoan Fire and Emergency Services Authority (SFESA), and the U.S. Army Reserve’s 1984th United States Army Hospital Detachment.

Topics related to pre-hospital support across a variety of scenarios and subsequent injuries. The first day focused on pre-hospital trauma life support, including collaborative instruction on airways, breathing, circulation, and ventilation. Day two consisted of trauma-life support involving brain injuries, including hemorrhaging and shock. The final day saw the continuation of pre-hospital care and disability considerations. Day three also highlighted the importance of making a secondary assessment and running through simulations.

“The entire exchange was a great success,” said Staff Sgt. Mason Burkhart, Nevada Army National Guard flight paramedic.

Burkhart was among three of the 2-238th GSAB flight paramedics Nevada sent to Samoa for the SPP exchange. The 1984th United States Hospital Detachment previously worked with SFESA for six months on a variety of medical engagements. Collaboration between the Nevada Guard, U.S. Army Reserve, and SFESA better prepared Samoa for their upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Burkhart said. The biennial summit meeting of the governmental leaders from all Commonwealth nations is scheduled for Oct. 21-25.

“Samoa is one of the best in the world when it comes to providing quality trauma treatment with limited resources,” Burkhart said. “Utilizing their expertise directly translates to providing treatment in an austere combat environment.”

“The arrival of the Nevada National Guard brought unique perspective and experience to the conversation, expanding upon the work already done between the U.S. Army Reserve and SFESA”, said Maj. Dustin Petersen, Nevada National Guard State Partner Program director. “This is the 3rd time I have had the honor to work with the Samoans and I am extremely excited to see how much progress we have made together. I cannot stress enough how beneficial this program is. We can learn so much from the people of Samoa. The Tenacity and desire for self-improvement of the Samoans never ceases to impress me. This program has limitless potential, and I am very excited to see where it leads in the future.”

Samoa (known as “Western Samoa” until 1997) is an archipelago consisting of two main islands, Upolu and Savai’i, and seven smaller islands. It has about 200,000 people, with roughly 75 percent of them residing in the capital city of Apia.

Each partnership works through mutually beneficial exchanges between nations and state National Guards. Given that Samoa does not have a state military force, engagements in Samoa focus on a whole-of-government approach incorporating outside military state agencies, Petersen said.

The SPP began in 1993 with 13 partners following the end of the Cold War. Thirty-one years later, it includes 92 partnerships with 106 nations and is a key U.S. security cooperation tool that facilitates collaboration across all aspects of civil-military affairs.