Preparations for evaluation exercise completed

The Koblenz Multinational Medical Coordination Centre/ European Medical Command  (MMCCMultinational Medical Coordination Centre/EMCEuropean Medical Command) has passed the last preparatory hurdle for the upcoming exercise "Resilient Medical Interface" in November 2021.

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Together with representatives of its member nations, final arrangements were made during the two-day online conference regarding the process and the coordination tasks to be performed by the MMCCMultinational Medical Coordination Centre/EMCEuropean Medical Command. The MMCCMultinational Medical Coordination Centre/EMCEuropean Medical Command will cooperate with military and civilian services of the EU and NATO.

In November, the MMCCMultinational Medical Coordination Centre/EMCEuropean Medical Command will demonstrate that it can support and relieve its member nations as well as NATO and the EU by performing coordination tasks in the supranational environment.

Multinational evaluation team provides evidence

A multinational evaluation team from the member nations of the MMCCMultinational Medical Coordination Centre/EMCEuropean Medical Command will assess the development of the MMCCMultinational Medical Coordination Centre/EMCEuropean Medical Command over the past two years on the basis of evaluation criteria. This includes the core capability of the MMCCMultinational Medical Coordination Centre/EMCEuropean Medical Command to act as a NATO and EU coordinating element. The REMI 2021 evaluation exercise is an important instrument for this. For this purpose, the Koblenz team will run through the various processes of medical crisis response with the participating nations and the responsible EU/NATO institutions in the hybrid exercise conducted in November 2021.

The exercise will focus on civil-military cooperation in the context of cross-border crisis management, in particular with NATO and EU organisations and institutions, but mainly with the member nations of the MMCCMultinational Medical Coordination Centre/EMCEuropean Medical Command. Fields of work and topics include: medical protection against biological threats and coordination of strategic, supranational wounded and sick transport.

"During the three days during exercise REMI 21, tasks will be performed individually, interlinked or building on each other, thus highlighting the various coordination and support services of the MMCCMultinational Medical Coordination Centre/EMCEuropean Medical Command," says Surgeon General Dr Stefan Kowitz, Director of the MMCCMultinational Medical Coordination Centre/EMCEuropean Medical Command, looking ahead to the upcoming event.

Situation Centre as a tool

The MMCCMultinational Medical Coordination Centre/EMCEuropean Medical Command uses the Situation Centre as a tool for this. If the complexity of a task requires the involvement of several MMCCMultinational Medical Coordination Centre/EMCEuropean Medical Command departments or if the fulfilment of the task is very time-critical, the Situation Centre is activated. By pooling all the capabilities of the MMCCMultinational Medical Coordination Centre/EMCEuropean Medical Command and its network of experts, the aim is to react quickly to the needs of individual member nations or NATO and EU institutions.

During the REMI, possible medical crises or incidents, some of which may involve supranational hazards, are simulated at various locations on the European continent together with the respective nations. In doing so, the MMCCMultinational Medical Coordination Centre/EMCEuropean Medical Command tries to provide the affected nations with appropriate stakeholders or service providers through its coordinative capabilities and expert network. Examples of such crises are accidents with increased numbers of casualties or outbreaks of transmissible pathogens.

In addition to the final work for the exercise, which is considered an important milestone for the full operational readiness of the MMCCMultinational Medical Coordination Centre/EMCEuropean Medical Command, planning is already underway in the background for Exercise Vigorous Warrior/Casualty Move 22 (VW/CAMOContinuing Airworthiness Management Organisation 22). This exercise is being developed jointly with the Center of Excellence for Military Medicine (MilMedCOE), which supports the transformation of NATO's medical services. The MMCCMultinational Medical Coordination Centre/EMCEuropean Medical Command is making its extensive wargaming expertise available for exercise VW/CAMOContinuing Airworthiness Management Organisation 22.