The Guam National Guard’s State Partnership Program conducted a Medical First Responder and Incident Command Subject Matter Expert Exchange with members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines OJ9, Reservist and Retiree Affairs, on Mactan Airbase in the Philippines.

After four days of classroom learning, about 100 troops from the Philippine Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines tested their knowledge with a mass-casualty field training exercise.

“Victims” dressed in moulage, sirens blaring over loudspeakers, and smoke machines added realism to the exercise.

Sgt. 1st Class Fred Esteves of Guam Guard’s Medical Readiness Detachment was a member of the Medical First Responder Exchange.

“This week’s lesson was to work on a medical response to a disaster, which may be chemical, biological, earthquake/natural, or explosions,” said Esteves. “We have to train for it all and like everything we do, it comes with practice.”

Col. Sheila Compton-Rivo, Guam Guard chief of joint staff, congratulated the class during the graduation ceremony and thanked Armed Forces of the Philippines MGen Joel Nacnac, deputy chief of staff for Reservist and Retiree Affairs OJ9 and COL Rozelle Salvosa, chief of the Reserve Training Division for their presence.

“Working with you has been rewarding and has helped me embrace the Filipino spirit of bayanihan – which means working together as a community," said Compton-Rivo. “The SPP process of training together, learning from each other, and becoming stronger together builds respect, trust, and friendship not only on the individual level, but on the national and international level as well.”