An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : Media : News : News Article View
NEWS | Dec. 15, 2020

Guam, Hawaii Share COVID-19 Best Practices With Philippines

WASHINGTON -- The Guam and Hawaii National Guard participated in a virtual subject matter expert exchange on COVID-19 with the Armed Forces of the Philippines as part of the Guard's State Partnership Program.

Normally during a table-top planning scenario in a subject matter exchange, planners respond to a theoretical or historical scenario. Instead, over the three-day virtual engagement in early December, the medical planning teams from each entity discussed how they have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This is a medical and operational SMEE looking at the COVID-19 response for the military, but also looking at how we have integrated the response with the civilian sector," Army Lt. Col. James Faumuina, 154th Medical Group, Detachment 1 commander, said. "The Hawaii Guard presented our work with the state Department of Health to flatten the curve —specifically, our COVID-19 mapping efforts and our task force medical support. Guam presented their efforts to support the government, and the Philippines showed the mass array of efforts they have been using to respond."

The response in the three disparate areas has varied in some aspects but shared some basic tactics: encouraging social distancing, practicing proper hygiene, utilizing limited lockdowns and conducting mass testing.

The virtual SMEE's largest challenge was overcoming the 18- to 20-hour time difference. While participants in Guam and the Philippines met in the early morning hours, it was late afternoon the day before in Hawaii.

The State Partnership Program is a joint Defense Department security cooperation program, managed and administered by the National Guard Bureau and executed and coordinated by the geographic combatant commands with personnel provided by the National Guard of the respective partner states. The Guam and Hawaii National Guard share the partnership with the Philippines.

The SMEE validated the relationships the partners have been building with the civilian health care entities in each nation and state before 2020, including SMEEs for at least the past five years.

One of the key areas of discussion was communicating with civilian medical planners who often don't have a tactical focus.

"The military has mobile capability and skill sets that frame our way at problem-solving," Faumuina said. "COVID-19 is the largest and most complex problem we have ever faced. Trying to merge our way of doing business with the civilian response is a big piece of that puzzle. These lessons and examples are what we are going to take away from this exchange to help with future operations."

During a normal SMEE, the scenario being discussed and analyzed is completed, but the COVID-19 pandemic is not over. Part of the discussion focused on the logistics of distributing a vaccine.

(Army Master Sgt. Andrew Jackson is assigned to the state of Hawaii, Department of Defense.)

CONNECT WITH USINDOPACOM
Facebook

Like Us
Twitter
355,460
Follow Us

ENGAGE & CONNECT MORE WITH PACOM

                                                 

IN THE USINDOPACOM NEWS
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Hosts Brunei for Bilateral Defense Agreement
Lt. Gen. Stephen D. Sklenka, deputy commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, hosted Dato Alirupendi, permanent secretary ministry of defense, State of Brunei Darussalam, at USINDOPACOM headquarters on Dec. 7, 2023, for the 16th joint defence working committee and the signing of the Section 505 Agreement. The bilateral engagement further builds upon the cooperation and interoperability between the two countries, codifies the exchange of diplomatic notes and assets, and demonstrates USINDOPACOM’s commitment to its Allies and partners to help ensure a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Austin Riel)
Dec. 8, 2023 - CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii – Lt. Gen. Stephen D. Sklenka, deputy commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, hosted Dato Alirupendi, permanent secretary ministry of defence, State of Brunei Darussalam, at USINDOPACOM headquarters on...

International observers in multinational harmony at Operation Christmas Drop 2023
Republic of Korea Air Force Staff Sgt. Namseok Jeong, 259th Squadron rigger, participates in an Operation Christmas Drop 2023 (OCD 23) international forces bundle rigging event, Dec. 5, 2023, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. The International Observer Program for OCD 23 featured forces from Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Nepal, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Interoperability and teamwork with our partner nations ensures we collectively remain ready for whenever and wherever the next disaster strikes. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Taylor Altier)
Dec. 8, 2023 - Operation Christmas Drop 2023 has officially transcended its annual mission of spreading Christmas joy through humanitarian airdrop. What began as a humble charitable initiative has evolved into a multinational effort,...

U.S. Coast Guard conducts security boarding at Port of Guam, bolstering maritime security
A U.S. Coast Guard Sector Boarding Team, a key component of U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam, conducts a thorough security boarding of the 380-foot (116-meter) motor vessel Papa Mau, flagged from Antigua Barbuda, at the Port of Guam on Dec. 6, 2023. This general cargo vessel, arriving from Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), was meticulously inspected upon reaching Guam and found to be in full compliance. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. Brian Maffucci)
Dec. 8, 2023 - The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Boarding Team, a key component of U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam, conducted a thorough security boarding of the 380-foot (116-meter) motor vessel Papa Mau, flagged from Antigua...

Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office to Host Hackathon in Hawaii
Dec. 7, 2023 - The Office of the Secretary of Defense Chief Digital and AI Office, Defense Innovation Unit, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Army Pacific Command and the U.S. Air Force will host a multi-classification hackathon open to all...

Dongducheon/Casey host second cooperation council engagement
South Korea - Dongducheon City Mayor Park Hyeon-deok and United States Army Garrison (USAG) Yongsan-Casey Commander Col. Lloyd Brown co-chaired the second Korean-American Cooperation Council hosted at Dongducheon City Hall, Dec. 6. The goal of the Dongducheon/USAG Yongsan-Casey council is to promote cultural exchanges, cooperation and generate mutual understanding between both communities, together with the U.S. Forces Korea and 8th Army guidance to help strengthen partnerships. (Photo Courtesy by Dongducheon City)
Dec. 7, 2023 - Dongducheon City Mayor Park Hyeon-deok and United States Army Garrison (USAG) Yongsan-Casey Commander Col. Loyd Brown co-chaired the second Korean-American Cooperation Council (KACC) hosted at Dongducheon City Hall, Dec. 6...