Airmen stand up medical squadron to support training exercise Published Sept. 28, 2009 By Senior Airman Alex Martinez Military Medical Training Exercise in Central and Eastern Europe 2009 Public Affairs NIS, Serbia (AFNS) -- Airmen built and set up the 458th Expeditionary Medical Squadron here in early September to support a multinational medical exercise. The expeditionary squadron is in Nis to support the 2009 Military Medical Training Exercise in Central and Eastern Europe, or MEDCEUR, that began Sept. 2 and ended Sept. 13. The exercise, hosted by Serbia, focused on providing a joint medical learning environment and assisting host nation civilian and military services; international, private and volunteer organizations; and other participating nations in enhancing disaster response actions. It's vital to have the expeditionary capabilities displayed in this exercise, said Lt. Col. Alfred Flowers Jr., the 458th EMEDS deputy commander. "We want to make [the exercise] as real as possible," Colonel Flowers said. "This is a big training opportunity for the countries participating. We can highlight and showcase our efforts, and we can train (others) and make them efficient allies throughout the world." The 458th EMEDS mobile hospital occupied a large field tent on the exercise grounds. Within its walls, medical doctors, nurses and technicians from many of the nations participating in the exercise train together and test their joint responses to simulated mass-casualty and humanitarian scenarios. "The importance of this being a joint event is that it establishes camaraderie," said Maj. Jana Kokkonen, the 458th EMEDS mobile forward surgical team chief. "It allows everyone to use and learn on the same equipment, and really have a good time interacting with each other and learning from each other how to do things better." More than 700 participants from 15 nations make up MEDCEUR 2009. Besides the host nation and U.S. forces, other countries participating in the exercise include Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Croatia, Germany, Georgia, Herzegovina, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway and Poland. Most of the U.S. participants in the exercise and the 458th EMEDS were U.S. Air Forces in Europe Airmen; however, all military branches are represented including participants stationed in the U.S.