KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- Airmen assigned to the 18th Medical Group partnered with the U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa to practice delivering life-saving care and train on essential evacuation procedures during a routine readiness exercise at Kadena Air Base, Japan, May 8, 2025.
This exercise tested rapid response capabilities to prepare medical personnel for potential emergencies in the Indo-Pacific region. Medics responded to a standard attack scenario where they treated simulated patients with lacerations, burns, broken bones, blood loss, and traumatic brain injuries.
"The scenario was selected to focus on conventional warfare – testing our Airmen’s ability to respond and coordinate jointly with USNHO,” said Capt. Dominique Robleto, 18th Medical Support Squadron readiness flight commander. “Medics need to be able to not only to treat the individual patient in front of them, but also to manage the flow and evacuation of the patients that they have just treated and the patients who are awaiting treatment.”
After triaging the patients on scene, the 18th MDG Patient Administration Team ensured patients files were loaded into the Joint Okinawa Incident Patient Tracker and USNHO personnel had received the information before medics physically performed a 22-patient transfer to the hospital.
"Large-scale patient movement between two medical treatment facilities requires close coordination between clinical teams to ensure that the highest quality patient care is delivered and that all personnel are accounted for in the process,” said Robleto. “The relationship between the 18th MDG and USNHO is vital to providing the most efficient full-spectrum care for day-to-day patients as well as combat casualties."
Service members with the 18th MDG and USNHO work and train in tandem to validate and strengthen the shared tactics, procedures and systems that will enable them to operate together seamlessly in the event of a real-world crisis.
The Air Force continues to work on its ability to meet new challenges in dynamic environments; in line with this direction, Pacific Air Forces is constantly evaluating and validating new warfighting concepts.