Vigorous Warrior 2019: Strengthening readiness and building partnerships

Airmen from the 86th Medical Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, participate in a multinational medical exercise drill during Vigorous Warrior 19, Cincu Military Base, Romania, April 8, 2019. Vigorous Warrior 19 is NATO’s largest-ever military medical exercise, uniting more than 2,500 participants from 39 countries to exercise experimental doctrinal concepts and test their medical assets together in a dynamic, multinational environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Andrew Layton)

Vigorous Warrior 2019: Strengthening readiness and building partnerships

Airmen from the 86th Medical Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, participate in a multinational medical evacuation exercise drill with a Polish Mi-17 helicopter during Vigorous Warrior 19, Cincu Military Base, Romania, April 9, 2019. About 50 Airmen from the 86th MDG participated in Vigorous Warrior 19, NATO’s largest-ever military medical exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Andrew Layton)

Vigorous Warrior 2019: Strengthening readiness and building partnerships

Airmen from the 86th Medical Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany and Romanian civilian first responders participate in a multinational medical exercise drill during Vigorous Warrior 19, Cincu Military Base, Romania, April 8, 2019. One of the training objectives of this year’s exercise was close cooperation with civilian medical forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Andrew Layton)

Vigorous Warrior 2019: Strengthening readiness and building partnerships

Tech. Sgt. Christopher Sarchioto, 86th Medical Group, Ramstein Air Base Germany, prepares an expeditionary medical support system (EMEDS) at Cincu Military Base, Romania, April 4, 2019, during exercise Vigorous Warrior 19. EMEDS are modular field hospitals designed to be deployed and fully operational within six hours of arrival in an area of responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo illustration)

Vigorous Warrior 2019: Strengthening readiness and building partnerships

Airmen from the 86th Medical Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, participate in a multinational medical exercise drill during Vigorous Warrior 19, Cincu Military Base, Romania, April 8, 2019. During the exercise, medical personnel kept up a rigorous operations tempo that included more than 1,000 scenarios, 300 medical actions, and more than 1,500 simulated casualties. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Andrew Layton)

Vigorous Warrior 2019: Strengthening readiness and building partnerships

Airmen from the 86th Medical Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, participate in a multinational medical exercise drill during Vigorous Warrior 19, Cincu Military Base, Romania, April 8, 2019. During the exercise, a surgical team from the 86th MDG integrated into a Romanian medical facility, and vice versa, challenging their surgical skills and adapting together in an unfamiliar space. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Andrew Layton)

Vigorous Warrior 2019: Strengthening readiness and building partnerships

Capt. Thomas Patrick, dentist, 86th Medical Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and Tech Sgt. Joshua Diel, dental assistant, 86 MDG, Ramstein AB, Germany, participate in a multinational medical exercise drill during Vigorous Warrior 19, Cincu Military Base, Romania, April 8, 2019. Vigorous Warrior 19 is NATO’s largest-ever military medical exercise, uniting more than 2,500 participants from 39 countries to exercise experimental doctrinal concepts and test their medical assets together in a dynamic, multinational environment (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Andrew Layton).

Vigorous Warrior 2019: Strengthening readiness and building partnerships

Maj. Lindsey Marquez, certified registered nurse anesthetist, 86th Medical Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and Maj. Florin Buia, general and vascular surgeon, Cluj-Napoca Emergency Military Hospital, Romania, participate in a multinational surgical exchange drill at the Romanian Role 3 medical unit during Vigorous Warrior 19, Cincu Military Base, Romania, April 11, 2019. The utility of the surgical exchange was to mitigate the potential complications of working with a multinational team, such as communication barriers. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Andrew Layton).

Vigorous Warrior 2019: Strengthening readiness and building partnerships

Published May 16, 2019
By Karina Luis
Air Force Surgeon General Public Affairs

FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- For the first time, U.S Air Force assets participated in Vigorous Warrior, NATO’s largest-ever medical exercise held in April.

Vigorous Warrior is a biannual readiness event organized by the NATO Military Medicine Centre of Excellence, headquartered in Budapest, Romania. This year’s exercise involved more than 2,500 participants from 39 partner nations.

The week-long exercise allowed Airmen from the 86th Medical Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, to showcase their interoperability capabilities and test medical assets in a dynamic, joint environment.

For the participating medical Airmen, the exercise also provided valuable experience operating an expeditionary medical support system, a modular field hospital designed to be deployed and fully operational within six hours of arrival in an area of responsibility.

Beyond the professional knowledge gained by its participants, Vigorous Warrior 19 highlighted the value multinational military exercises contribute to strengthening the joint warrior medical team and advancing partnerships with our allied forces.