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within the full scope of the guidelines if fully equipped. The training culminated in a mass casualty exercise in
The training gathered military medics and providers, which a real­world civilian–military disaster was simu­
along with civilian providers, nurses, and administra­ lated on the military training compound adjacent to
tors, in a course designed to build collaboration in a the airfield: the crash of a commercial aircraft carrying
region of Cameroon with few medical resources. The civilians.
training involved TCCC refreshers and skills testing.
SOCAFRICA instructors used this refresher training to The training proved fortuitous. Shortly after the train­
identify future course faculty. Instruction on aid sta­ ing, a large­scale flood occurred in the region, resulting
tion and remote clinic operations followed the TCCC in displacement of personnel and the need for remote
refresher. To augment the scarce 1st BIR medical re­ aid station operations to assist the personnel affected
sources, SOCAFRICA procured, prior to conducting by the flood. The 1st BIR was able to deploy its newly
the training event, aid station equipment previously developed aid station to support the civilian popula­
phased out of the US inventory through the HCA tion. The freshly formed civilian–military relationships
system for donation. Familiarization with equipment developed during shared training facilitated open lines
occurred during training, with a focus on how to main­ of communication for a collaborative response by the
tain durable equipment and how to conduct resupply 1st BIR with the providers and facilities of the civil­
procedures for expendable items. Training included di­ ian healthcare system in the local area. The timely re­
saster planning that integrated the military and civilian sponse and cooperative nature of the civilian–military
resources, thus encouraging civilian–military collabo­ partnership strengthened the legitimacy of the 1st BIR
ration and real­time development of executable plans. with the local population.

Figure 3 Case 2: Niger MEDEVAC Program.

110 Journal of Special Operations Medicine Volume 15, Edition 1/Spring 2015