Kenyan Army Lt. Col. Moses Muzomba talks with U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Wyche during the U.S. Army Task Force Southern Europe (SETAF-AF) Medical Readiness Exercise (MEDREX) and Global Health Engagement (GHE) Concept Development Event (CDE) held Sept. 16-20, 2024, in Vicenza, Italy. The MEDREX GHE CDE brought together military health professionals, planners and experts from SETAF-AF, U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Medical Command, as well as health care providers and representatives from 17 African partner nations. Participants collaboratively refined MEDREX and Global Health Engagement execution strategies for fiscal year 2025 and discussed frameworks for fiscal years 2026-2028. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Catherine Sibylla) (Photo by 1st Lt. Catherine Sibylla) View original U.S. Army Task Force Southern Europe Returns to Africa
VICENZA, Italy — Strengthening collaboration through health care is exactly what U.S. and African militaries are advocating for a more stable future.
U.S. joint military forces and military medical experts from 17 African nations will gather here Sept. 16-20, 2024, to shape the future of medical operations on the continent.
U.S. Army Task Force Southern Europe, Africa (SETAF-AF) hosted the Global Health Engagement (GHE) and Medical Readiness Exercise (MEDREX) Concept Development Event (CDE). Planners from U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Medical Command and other military commands, along with their African partners, discussed and refined their FY2025 health strategies. They also laid the groundwork for future cooperation through 2028.
Benin Army Lt. Col. Mahounakpon Funkpevi listens during the U.S. Army Task Force-Africa Southern Europe (SETAF-AF) Medical Readiness Exercise (MEDREX) and Global Health Engagement (GHE) Concept Development Event (CDE) held Sept. 16-20, 2024, in Vicenza, Italy. The MEDREX GHE CDE brought together military health professionals, planners and experts from SETAF-AF, U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Medical Command and other military health care providers and representatives from 17 African partner nations. Participants collectively refined the FY2025 MEDREX and GHE execution strategy and discussed the FY2026-FY2028 framework. (U.S. Army Photo by 1st Lt. Catherine Sibylla) (Photo by 1st Lt. Catherine Sibylla)View Original
“We are coordinating activities across Africa to meet the medical needs of our partners,” said U.S. Army Capt. Jeffrey Spada, SETAF-AF GHE officer. “This event is to finalize our plans for the next three years and medical operations for fiscal year 2025.”
Some CDE participants have participated in previous MEDREXs and bring first-hand experience to the event. U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 David Klobelundas, MEDREX planner for the 30th Medical Brigade, emphasized the hands-on training aspect of the program.
“MEDREX gives us the opportunity to train in a real-life environment and treat cases that we don’t see in the country,” Klobelundas said. “It’s a very important part of our readiness and allows us to share best practices with our African partners.”
As both an organizer and participant, Klobelundas emphasized the mutual benefits of knowledge exchange between U.S. and African medical teams.
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Col. Kelly Tojola, U.S. Army Task Force Southern Europe, Africa (SETAF-AF) Chief of Global Health Engagement, speaks to participants at the SETAF-AF Medical Readiness Exercise (MEDREX) and Global Health Engagement (GHE) Concept Development Event (CDE), held September 16-20, 2024, in Vicenza, Italy. The MEDREX GHE CDE brought together military health professionals, planners and experts from SETAF-AF, U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Medical Command and other military, as well as health care providers and representatives from 17 African partner nations. Participants worked collaboratively to refine the FY2025 MEDREX and Global Health Engagement execution strategy and discussed the FY2026-FY2028 framework. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Katherine Sibylla) (Photo by 1st Lt. Katherine Sibylla) View Original 2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Mary Izaguirre speaks during the U.S. Army Southern Europe Task Force Africa (SETAF-AF) Medical Readiness Exercise (MEDREX) and Global Health Engagement (GHE) Concept Development Event (CDE) held Sept. 16-20, 2024, in Vicenza, Italy. The MEDREX GHE CDE brought together military health care professionals, planners and experts from SETAF-AF, U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Medical Command and other military health care providers and representatives from 17 African partner nations. Participants collaboratively refined MEDREX and Global Health Engagement execution strategies for FY2025 and discussed the FY2026-FY2028 framework. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Katherine Sibylla) (Photo by 1st Lt. Katherine Sibylla) View Original 3/3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Mary Izaguirre listens to a briefing during the U.S. Army Southern Europe Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) Medical Readiness Exercise (MEDREX) and Global Health Engagement (GHE) Concept Development Event (CDE) held Sept. 16-20, 2024, in Vicenza, Italy. The MEDREX GHE CDE brought together military health care professionals, planners and experts from SETAF-AF, U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Medical Command and other military health care providers and representatives from 17 African partner nations. Participants worked together to refine the FY2025 MEDREX and Global Health Engagement execution strategy and discussed the FY2026-FY2028 framework. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Catherine Sibylla) (Photo courtesy of 1st Lt. Catherine Sibylla) View original
Each medical exercise lasts approximately two weeks, and SETAF-AF plans to conduct eight MEDREXes in Africa during FY25. Host countries include Angola, Burundi, Cape Verde, Chad, Ghana, Rwanda, South Africa and Zambia.
With a clear plan for the next three years, SETAF-AF and its African partners have been working hard to ensure that these efforts will not only improve medical capacity but also strengthen relationships that are crucial for future cooperation across the continent.
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Andrew C. Gainey, commander, U.S. Army Task Force Southern Europe Africa (SETAF-AF), greets Italian Army Lt. Col. Dragotta during the SETAF-AF Medical Readiness Exercise (MEDREX) and Global Health Engagement (GHE) Concept Development Event (CDE) held in Vicenza, Italy, September 16-20, 2024. The MEDREX GHE CDE brought together military health care professionals, planners and experts from SETAF-AF, U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Medical Command and other militaries, as well as health care providers and representatives from 17 African partner nations. Participants worked together to refine the FY2025 MEDREX and Global Health Engagement execution strategy and discussed the FY2026-FY2028 framework. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Katherine Sibila) (Photo by 1st Lt. Katherine Sibila) View Original 2/2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Kenyan Army Lt. Col. Moses Muzomba talks with U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Wyche during the U.S. Army Southern Europe Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) Medical Readiness Exercise (MEDREX) and Global Health Engagement (GHE) Concept Development Event (CDE) held Sept. 16-20, 2024, in Vicenza, Italy. The MEDREX GHE CDE brought together military health professionals, planners and experts from SETAF-AF, U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Medical Command and other militaries, as well as health care providers and representatives from 17 partner nations in Africa. Participants discussed collaboratively improving MEDREX and Global Health Engagement execution strategies for FY2025 and frameworks for FY2026-FY2028. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Catherine Sibylla) (Photo courtesy of 1st Lt. Catherine Sibylla) View original
About MEDRx
MEDREX is a medical readiness exercise planned and executed by SETAF-AF that allows military medical professionals from the U.S. and its African partners to exchange medical practices, procedures and techniques to enhance care capabilities and build lasting relationships among participants.
About SETAF-AF
SETAF-AF provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe-Africa with a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis response options in Africa and Europe.
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