RIMBA AIR FORCE BASE, Brunei –
Medical units from across the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) teamed up with Medical Service, Royal Brunei Air Force during exercise Pacific Angel 23-3 a joint and combined regional humanitarian assistance and disaster relief engagement led by PACAF at Rimba Air Force Base, Brunei on Sept, 11-15.
During the exchange between PACAF and the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF), medical teams shared their expertise in various critical areas. These included medical capabilities, tactical combat casualty care (TCCC) procedures, aerospace physiology, and multi-modal patient transfer techniques. This exchange allowed for the sharing of best practices and the strengthening of medical readiness in the Indo-Pacific region.
“Pacific Angel strategically enabled us to engage in productive partnership with Brunei’s military and civilian medical counterparts,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Sabrina Hooks, Flight Nurse at the 18th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron. “We leveraged our medical expertise to instruct their medics in TCCC and highlighted our aeromedical evacuation capabilities.”
The primary focus of this iteration of Pacific Angel 23-3 was to increase collaborative capacity in responding to search and rescue (SAR) operations and real-world humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) conducted by PACAF and RBAirF in the Indo-Pacific region.
“Working with the RBAirF is crucial as it allows for mutual learning and the continued development of joint efforts in support of HA/DR operations,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Cesar Pimentel, Global Health Engagement Manager at the Office of the Command Surgeon, PACAF Headquarters.
The Pacific Angel 23-3 exercise not only fostered joint collaboration but also strengthened the dedication of PACAF and RBAirF to improve their combined readiness to enhance collective preparedness to respond effectively to humanitarian crises and disasters in the area of responsibility. This joint effort marked a significant step toward building regional resilience and capabilities for future challenges.
“It was an amazing opportunity to work with the Brunei medical military and civilian counterparts to cultivate our partnership while developing regional capabilities,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Morgan Stanfield, 35th Medical Support Squadron (MDSS), TCCC instructor. “Through this iteration of Pacific Angel we have gained an understanding of the RBAirF capabilities while showcasing the different applications of TCCC in a HA/DR scenario.”
Maj (Dr) Ranald Mohd Faizal, a Medical Officer with the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, emphasized the significance of the medical subject matter expert exchange between partnering nations.
"The medical subject matter expert exchange of exercise Pacific Angel has been an excellent opportunity for an exchange of knowledge and experiences in aeromedical evacuation and TCCC,” said Royal Brunei Armed Forces Maj. (Dr) Ranald. “The 18th AES and 35th MDSS personnel showed great enthusiasm and expertise in their field, and have assisted the RBAirF to lay a foundation in establishing aeromedical evacuation capabilities in Brunei.”