Celebrating Nine Years of Air Force-Navy Partnerships on International Military Training Published Oct. 17, 2011 By Col. John P. Mitchell and Maj. Courtney D. Finkbeiner Defense Institute for Military Operations WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, OHIO -- Happy ninth birthday to the Defense Institute for Medical Operations (DIMO), a small yet key organization guided by Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) in support of Geographic Combatant Commanders' (GCC) security cooperation objectives. DIMO has provided mobile training teams to more than 7,300 international students in124 countries since October 2002, delivering over 20 courses. DIMO was established in October 2002 when the Air Force's Institute for Global Health merged with the Navy's Defense Healthcare Management Institute. In 2003, DIMO transitioned to the International Education Exportable Division within the International and Expeditionary Education and Training Department of the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM). The DSCA under the leadership of a flag-officer, as the Department of Defense (DoD) focal point for international education and training, provides sponsorship to DIMO through infrastructure support as well as providing funding through the International Military Education Training (IMET) and Humanitarian Assistance Programs, among others. DIMO's mission is to strengthen partner nation medical capacity and consequence management capabilities through education and training in support of national security objectives. DIMO courses focus on building international health bridges, disaster preparedness, communicable disease prevention, biosecurity and biosafety, executive healthcare management, first responder skills, surgical trauma response techniques, and other current health-related issues, with host nations worldwide. DIMO works closely with the Security Cooperation Officers (SCO) at the US Embassy to determine a specific country's training needs. On occasion, based on the SCO's request, DIMO travels to partner nations to conduct assessment or assist partner nation determine training requirements with the goal toward capacity-building. The majority of DIMO courses are conducted in the host country, many times in train-the-trainer format, with the host country sharing the roles of facilitation and training. In its short time as an organization, DIMO has had a long list of success stories with partner nations in several Ambassador-lauded, sustainable, capacity-building dimensions: saving lives, creating successful inter-agency disaster plans, and training trainers. One such story is from an Iraqi Air Force Flight Nurse who reported that 78 lives were saved in 2009 by Iraqi Air Force aeromedical teams months after a DIMO Basic Aeromedical Evacuation Principles course taught Iraqi Air Force C-130 and medical cadre at New Al Muthana Iraqi Air Force Base, Baghdad, Iraq, utilizing an Iraqi Air Force C-130 (see photo). Interestingly, the cadre trained a subsequent team that participated in a series of aerial evacuation of civilians from overwhelmed hospitals in southern Iraq to civilian hospitals in Baghdad. A life-saving, train-the-trainer success for sure. Another success story occurred weeks after a second DIMO Critical Lifesaving Skills for First Responders course in Nepal. A Royal Nepalese Army Lt Col physician praised the training for improving survival after 26 were injured in a passenger bus bombing. In a different event, in the far west of Nepal, approximately 10 soldiers were injured in a clash with insurgents during the evening hours. They couldn't be evacuated until the next morning and lived only because they treated themselves with what they had learned from DIMO instructors. The follow-on forces that came to their relief were astonished when they found the self-doctored, badly wounded soldiers alive. The DIMO's medical training mission made a profound difference. Most recently, USAF Lt Col Luis Morales, DIMO Disaster Planning Course director, provides another story. The Disaster Planning course is geared to guide the development of a country's national emergency response plan to disasters, natural or manmade. The course's target audience includes representatives from the ministries of interior, health, defense, and leaders from the national fire, police and other first responder agencies, to include local and international non governmental agencies. In August 2011, DIMO executed a disaster planning course in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The team complement included subject matter experts from Departments of Health & Human Services and Defense. The Office of National Security (ONS) hosted the course in the Ministry of Defense (MOD) main conference room. Fifty participants from 14 military, governmental, and non-governmental organizations with responsibilities to emergency/disaster preparedness and response participated. One of the common themes that came out during the week of training was that ONS had assigned a Director of Disaster Management, and had implemented a limited preparedness program. DIMO's Disaster Planners' course was a great first step. At the conclusion of the final exercise, the participants had an opportunity to present their views to several senior government officials. These briefings were received by the Chief of Staff of the ONS and the Deputy MOD, and thereafter, the Sierra Leone Office of National Security launched the 'National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction Fund' as the first step to the disaster prevention and preparedness plan. The government is also looking into the recommendation made by the students, to transform the Disaster Management Department of the ONS into a separate agency. The United States is committed to finding ways for positive engagement with other nations, and DIMO's international training programs provide a window through which the U.S. can positively influence the development of foreign military institutions and democratic societies. By providing regionally-focused healthcare with partner nations, DIMO is strengthening international coalition partnerships. During the recent Joint Lean Six Sigma event, DIMO strives to collaborate and coordinate on USG/DOD Global Health Engagement, beginning with international military education and training, for unity of effort in support of the Mission Strategic Resource Plan and the GCC Security Cooperation objectives. Team DIMO is dedicated to enhancing coordination and collaboration with the USG global health community to enhance capacity-building with partner nations to promote stability, security, and peace." is. Visit DIMO on Facebook.