PALDISKY, Estonia(July 30, 2002) -- Reserve Marines and sailors recently traveled across Europe to conduct multi-national and joint training exercise with Baltic nations.

The purpose of the exercise was to check the preparedness of Estonian forces to establish command and control systems in crisis situations, enhance cooperation among various authorities and international organizations, and promote cooperation between the members of the defense forces from various countries.

The crisis response exercise, Medical Exercise Central Europe, MEDCEUR 02, included military and civilian personnel from Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.

The three nations have each begun the process of becoming a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. In accordance with NATO rules and regulations, countries must demonstrate the ability to work in multi-national efforts. These three countries used elements of the exercise, which fit NATO criteria, to show their ability to work in a joint-nation operation.

"Terrorism wants to destroy our way of life, to injure women and children, to end civilization. In today's complicated world where security cannot be assumed, the roll of military medical personnel is becoming one of the utmost importance," said Vice Admiral Tarmo Kouts, commander of the Estonian Defense Forces. "Uniformed medics must be able to perform in a fast, effective way to maximize their ability and knowledge to assist their victims, sometimes with limited supplies and in extreme situations. This is what you must learn during this exercise."

Included in the U.S. contingent were members of the Shock Trauma Platoon, 4th Medical Battalion, San Diego, Calif., Military Police, Company B, Pittsburgh, Pa., and Company A, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, Charleston, W.Va.

The exercise consisted of two phases. The first phase was classroom and hands-on training for the 10-year-old Estonian military, while the second phase was a large-scale mass casualty evacuation field exercise.

The field exercise consisted of two scenarios over a three-day period. The first was a flood at an old munitions site which destroyed the infrastructure of the city, leaving no electricity, water, or transportation, while the second scenario was an explosion at a nuclear power plant.

The task for each emergency was to evacuate and transport civilians, playing the role of victims, by helicopter and ambulance to the U.S. Navy hospital ship Comfort to receive medical treatment.

The three participating units had different missions for the exercise. The corpsman from San Diego spent time with the Estonian military and civilian medical personnel, teaching them about the Fleet Marine Force, shock trauma platoon (STP) organization, structure and mission, advanced trauma and life support and nuclear, biological and chemical medicine.

Upon arrival, the sailors and Marines from the STP, realized that their mission had changed. They originally were to lead class instruction and support the field exercise with an STP. However, they stepped up to the plate and managed the entire field exercise, created over 200 casualty scenarios for three days of casualty drills and maintained medical regulating and casualty evacuation management.

In addition to overseeing the field evolution, they set up and ran a trauma center alongside the Estonian military and civilian medical personnel that provided pre-hospital life support for the victims of each disaster.

During times of disaster, it is important that medical facilities become ready and available but it is equally important to ensure the security of these facilities. This responsibility rested upon the MP platoon.

Reserve military police Marines spent the first phase teaching the Estonian MPs topics such as the five basic MP missions, convoy security, law enforcement operations, rights of the accused, and enemy prisoner of war processing and constitutional law. They also built and described the use of terrain models.

"Because the Estonian military police force only began in Jan. 2002, our primary mission was to train them in the basic MP mission, doctrine and tactics," said Maj. Ed P. Wojnaroski, commanding officer, MP Co. B., H&S BN, 4th FSSG.

During the field exercise, the Marines provided traffic control points, perimeter security, and maintained order and security at the casualty locations as well as at the shock trauma platoon locations.

The Marine engineers provided training to the Estonian forces in landmine sweeps and combat engineer operations in support of infantry. They put on a display of several different types of demolitions used in support of infantry, demonstrating explosives such as bangalore torpedoes, used to breach fencelines or wire obstructions, suspension charges, used to remove walls and concrete, as well as breaching techniques for doors and windows.

For the field exercise, they conducted landmine sweeps before the shock trauma platoons from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the U.S. set up their facilities They also took on the role of a small unit that sustained major injuries and casualties after being bombed.

During the course of the field exercise, over 200 volunteers, ranging from five-years-old to 65-years-old, were "walking wounded" with injuries from basic cuts and sprained ankles to severe full-body acid burns and amputations. While these injuries kept the corpsman and other military and civilian personnel busy, some volunteers were mentally unstable in nature wielding weapons, which kept the military police busy.

Upon completion of the field exercise, all units from the different countries participated in a pass and review, which signified the end of the operation.

"This training evolution went phenomenally well for all countries involved," said Cmdr. Steven P. Medina, commanding officer, Shock Trauma Platoon, 4th Med. BN.