DVIDS – News – Building Combat Medicine Interoperability with Polish Allies

Łódź, Poland – With a final blow of the hammer, US Army Brig. General Clinton Murray affixed the U.S. Army for Europe and Africa emblem on the wooden patchboard at the Polish Military Medicine Training Center in Łódź, Poland, on July 27. This law emphasized the intensification of cooperation between the military medical teams of the two Allies. Earlier in the morning, Murray, the US military commander in Europe and Africa, and Polish Surgeon General, Dr. Aurelia Ostrowska, A Historical Memorandum of Understanding on the Interoperability of Combat Medicine.

The Combat Medicine Interoperability MOA establishes the scope, principles and procedures for the combat medics of both countries to conduct bilateral training activities in two of Poland’s main military medical facilities: the Military Medicine Training Center in Łódź and the Military Institute of Medicine in Warsaw. The aim is to enable US troops stationed in Poland to organize joint training events in these facilities with their Polish partners to strengthen cooperation and gain confidence when operating within multinational teams.

When asked about the importance of the MOA, Murray offered: “As a military doctor you work in two professions. One is a profession of weapons and the other is a profession of medicine. In a place like Poland you balance those two always. What is unique is that both professions serve in a way that is bigger than our country and ourselves. Having a servant leadership approach to fight medicine creates an essential balance with great partners like the Polish military medical team. is a very exciting and humbling event.”

Interoperability is key to the US military’s vision in Europe and Africa. The MOA marks an important milestone in combat medicine training and supports continuous interoperability with Polish allies. The resulting training capabilities will enable US and Polish forces to routinely work together coherently, effectively and efficiently to achieve tactical, operational and strategic objectives in support of maneuver operations.

Polish Colonel Zygmunt Glogowski, head of plans of the Ministry of Defense Ministry of Military Medicine, described his perspective on Polish-American military medical relations.

“The most beneficial way to connect our ties and collaboration is to understand how we can work better together in the future.” said Glogowski. “I am really proud that American medical leaders have visited our country. I am confident that this will open a new chapter in our medical services partnership.”

After the signing of the MOA, Polish and American senior leaders attended the MILITARY DOCTOR 22 Distinguished Visitor Day. MILITARY DOCTOR is the main annual Polish military field medical training that serves as the capstone of training for their graduating cadets as military doctors. The eight-day exercise consists of combat drugs ranging from the point of injury, evacuation and treatment to field medical units (Roll 1 and 2 facilities). This year, 16 US soldiers from the 30th Medical Brigade, the 4th Security Force Assistance Brigade and the 7th Army Training Command supported the event as guest observers and trainers. This was the third consecutive year that US military units in Europe and Africa supported the exercise MILITARY DOCTOR.