Gulf | Bahrain
US and Bahrain forces hold land drill
Hundreds of Bahrainis and Americans were yesterday involved in the largest and most comprehensive combined land exercise ever staged here, a spokesman for the US Navy said yesterday.
- By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
- Published: 00:00 April 25, 2007
Manama: Hundreds of Bahrainis and Americans were yesterday involved in the largest and most comprehensive combined land exercise ever staged here, a spokesman for the US Navy said yesterday.
More than 800 US service members and Department of Defence personnel and hundreds of personnel from Bahrain's ministries of interior, defence and health took part in Exercise Desert Sailor 07 aimed at making Bahrain and the US Navy respond as a single crisis management team to any situation caused by a mass casualty scenario.
"The exercise will test the capabilities of all participants to effectively manage the integration of critical command and control, security, and consequence management resources," the Navy said in a statement.
A spokesman for the Commander Navy Region Southwest Asia told Gulf News that the exercise was for one day and involved no ships.
"It has been scheduled in advance and did not involve any other country, neither as participants nor observers," he said.
Participants
Robert Massie, director of emergency services at the US base, said that US participants in the exercise included the installation Naval Security Force, Marine Corps Security Forces, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Emergency Response Team, Naval Branch Health Clinic, and numerous other infrastructure support entities.
"Bahraini efforts in the planning phases leading up to the execution of the exercise were spearheaded by the Ministry of Interior and Special Security Forces Command," he said.
"The level of professionalism, cooperation and dedication was indicative of the close coordination Naval Support Activity and the Bahraini community have shared for many years. Our partnership and cooperative approaches to complex situations are the key to tackling any situation that either of us may be confronted with," he said.
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