Macedonian general officially closes MEDCEUR 11

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Julius Delos Reyes
  • MEDCEUR 11 Public Affairs
CAMP PEPELISHTE, Macedonia (AFNS) --  The 2011 Medical Training Exercise in Central and Eastern Europe officially closed during a ceremony here June 15. MEDCEUR, an annual chairman of the joint chiefs of staff-sponsored regional and multilateral exercise, was designed to provide medical training and operational experience in a deployed environment for U.S. and partner nations. Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia and Norway participated in this year's MEDCEUR.

"To all the participants, your dedication and shown professionalism equally deserve our praise and greeting," said Col. (Dr.) Andreja Naumovski, the Macedonian co-director of MEDCEUR 11. "Working shoulder by shoulder, we learned a lot. Together, we became a team, capable of solving crises and major catastrophes. Adequate preparedness, interoperability and effective cooperation of national structures with international capacities are key preconditions for efficient response to major natural catastrophes."

During the last two weeks, the MEDCEUR 11 participants accomplished certification for 80 multinational participants in disaster planning and disaster public health courses, expeditionary medical support certification for 30 U.S. participants as well as a live exercise, which combined civil agency responses, coordination by the crisis management center and the joint operations center.

"Most of us have made many new lasting friendships and learned to work together much more effectively," said Col. (Dr.) Charles Tedder, the MEDCEUR co-director and 3rd Air Force command surgeon. "That is what this exercise is all about -- building enduring partnerships and enhancing our interoperability."

Colonel Tedder said MEDCEUR participants should take the new knowledge they've received back to their respective countries and continue to nurture the friendships that were formed.

"By doing that, the impact from this exercise will continue to benefit us all far into the future and enable us to respond to any crisis effectively as a team," he said.

Macedonian Brig. Gen. Kiro Galazovski, the Republic of Macedonia Joint Operative Forces of Army deputy commander, concluded the ceremony by expressing his appreciation to the participating countries.

"This exercise has contributed immensely to the preparedness of civilian and military structures of the Republic of Macedonia while handling crisis situations of all kinds and to the increase of interoperability," General Galazovski said. "Let us not forget the lifelong friendship that all participants have made here. I believe that the skills, knowledge, experience and friendship that the participants take with them will be used in the future and will contribute toward promoting cooperation and interoperability."