Hawaii National Guard and Philippine Armed Forces Unite for 4th Annual Medical Exchange

Posted on Jul 11, 2025 in 2020's, History
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Maritza Garcia, 154th Medical Group Detachment 1 medic and Tactical Combat Casualty Care instructor, evaluates Armed Forces of the Philippines students during a medical field training exercise May 29, 2025, at Camp O’Donnell, Philippines. The training emphasized rapid response and effective medical treatment in high-pressure environments. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. John Linzmeier)

Hawaii National Guard medical professionals completed their fourth annual Tactical Combat Casualty Care exchange with partners from the Armed Forces of the Philippines at Camp O’Donnell from May 18-30.

This Subject Matter Expert Exchange was facilitated by the State Partnership Program and helped 85 medical and non-medical personnel develop critical life-saving skills.

For the first time, this continuation has been escalated by qualifying an AFP instructor corps to teach follow-on courses, a significant step toward developing a standardized medical training curriculum aligned with U.S. standards.

The training program was tailored to support AFP participants at the Peacekeeping Operations Center, which is responsible for preparing personnel for United Nations peacekeeping missions, with a focus on stabilizing volatile regions through military strength.

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