250 US Soldiers To Train UPDF Troops

THE United States military is to conduct a major training exercise with the Uganda People’s Defence Forces later this year.Charles Wendo reports that the US embassy said in a statement yesterday that the exercise, MEDFLAG2002, will be the largest US military training in Uganda in several years. It will focus on medical readiness.Over 250 medical and logistics specialists from the US Airforce, Army and Navy are expected to fly in for the exercise slated for July or August.An advance team from the US military is expected in Uganda within the next few months to set up training facilities and get acquainted with the deployment sites and interact with their Ugandan counterparts. The planning and organisation of the exercise will involve military officers from both countries. The preparations will include some construction work, the details of which were not made available.The statement said the US military command in Europe has already begun preparations for the exercise that is expected to prepare US and Ugandan military units for swift and effective rescue and medical support for injured combatants.Each year, the US military holds such exercise once or twice in Africa to help their medical units and those of the host country gain experience in deployment and providing contingency medical support.Countries participating in the MEDFLAG programme benefit by receiving training, some medical facilities, exchange of information as well as direct medical service by the US military. The last MEDFLAG exercise was in Mozambique in July and August 2001. It provided mobility training and operational exercises for medical units. The US military trained the Mozambicans on crisis response, universal precautions, self-aid and buddy care and life support.Ends