Category Added in a WPeMatico Campaign
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Vermont (SSN 792) returned to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam March 16, following a seven-month deployment, the submarine’s first deployment to the Western Pacific. 104 Sailors assigned to Vermont earned their first Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, since the submarine’s departure from Pearl Harbor in August 2024.
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
The 65th Medical Brigade’s Pacific Medics spearheaded teams from across Korea and successfully conducted Eighth Army’s Freedom Lift 25-1, a large-scale medical evacuation training exercise across multiple locations in the Republic of Korea. This historic exercise integrated the 65th Medical Brigade, allies and joint partners at an unprecedented scale.
Source: United States SOUTHERN COMMAND
Sailors from U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet (NAVSOUTH/FOURTHFLT) and Marines from U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South (MARFORSOUTH) are serving together on the Joint Force Maritime Component Commander (JFMCC) staff during Exercise Integrated Advance 2025.
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
OSAN AIR BASE, GYEONGGIDO [KYONGGI-DO], South Korea — U.S. Air Force and Republic of Korea Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs joined a U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning II for integration training during Freedom Shield 25, Mar. 13, 2025.
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
TOKYO, Japan — Airmen assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron supported the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force 1st Airborne Brigade by delivering 215 Japanese paratroopers over the East Fuji Maneuver Area in Gotemba City, Japan, March 4, as part of Airborne 25.
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
GYEONGSANGNAM-DO, South Korea — Military Sealift Command’s (MSC) Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Wally Schirra (T-AKE 8) completed a seven-month regular overhaul (ROH) at Hanwha Ocean, Gyeongsangnam-do, Republic of Korea, March 12, 2025.
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
Freedom Shield 25 is a defense-oriented exercise featuring live, virtual, and field-based training that engages alliance forces and governmental agencies.
Seventh Air Force, along with its subordinate units, the 8th Fighter Wing, 51st FW, 607th Air Operations Center, and 607th Air Support Operations Group, will integrate airpower seamlessly into combined and joint all-domain military operations. Personnel at every level, operational planning through tactical execution, will rehearse their contingency airpower capabilities, as Seventh AF executes with a whole-of-force focus on realistic combat training.
U.S. F-35A and F-35C Lightning IIs, F-16 Fighting Falcons, A-10 Warthogs, MQ-9 Reapers, MC-130J Commando IIs and CV-22 Ospreys will integrate with ROK F-35As, F-15K Slam Eagles, (K)F-16s, FA-50s, KC-330s, C-130 Hercules, CASA CN-235s, HH-60 Pave Hawks, CH-47 Chinooks, and HH-32s for several live-fly exercise events. Utilizing advanced platforms like the F-35s will enable the exercise to focus on complex scenarios, 5th and 4th generation aircraft integration, and sustained, continuous air operations, enhancing interoperability between ROK and U.S. forces.
Additionally, for the first time ever, the 11th Air Task Force will be deployed to provide command and control and agile mission-generation capabilities. Throughout the exercise, Seventh Air Force units and the 11th ATF will employ agile combat employment concepts, demonstrating their ability to generate, project, and sustain airpower from dispersed locations across the region.
Aligned with the Mutual Defense Treaty and in support of the Armistice Agreement, Freedom Shield 25 is focused on fortifying response capabilities to safeguard security on the peninsula – ensuring our Alliance forces are ready anytime, anywhere.
Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND
Space Forces-Korea will temporarily increase its personnel footprint as part of the exercise, nearly doubling the number of Guardians on the peninsula. Participation from partner nations across the globe, including Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and the Republic of Korea, will also increase.
“The ability to demonstrate cooperation from our partner nations in supporting this mission is invaluable,” said Col. John Patrick, commander of U.S. Space Forces—Korea. “Our allies bring capabilities and expertise critical to successfully execute combined joint all domain operations.”
Notably, Space Forces-Korea will be standing up a CJSpOC, the first time to demonstrate its ability to rapidly deploy and receive mission system, execute command and control and provide Space Domain Awareness (SDA) to the Combined Forces Component Commander. Within the CJSpOC the Joint Commercial Operations (JCO) cell provides commercially augmented capability to military space surveillance operations support. The JCO operates exclusively at a non-classified level and is primarily focused on the “Protect and Defend” mission, predominately for the National Space Defense Center (NSDC), with support to Allies and partner nations.
“The CJSpOC provides real-world satellite tracking. This information helps guide decision-making for, in this case, an exercise scenario,” Patrick said. “Practicing interfacing with the decision makers will ensure that we can execute at the highest level.”
FS25 also acts as the execution stage of U.S. Space Force exercise POLARIS HAMMER – KOREA, a space warfighter inclusive command-and-control exercise, enabling the field command to enact the multi-domain space plan built during PH-K’s first phase in January 2025.
For further information on Space Forces-Korea participation in Exercise Freedom Shield and Polaris Harmer 2025, please contact Seventh Air Force Public Affairs, 7afpa@us.af.mil or by calling 011-82-505-784-4780.
Source: United States SOUTHERN COMMAND
VIEUX FORT, Saint Lucia –
The arrival of the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission 2025 has brought a wave of relief to the island nation of St. Lucia. The mission, which began Feb. 24, represents a collaboration between U.S. Air Force medical professionals and their St. Lucian counterparts, addressing a critical shortage of specialized care while simultaneously honing essential skills for future U.S. military deployments.
At the heart of LAMAT’s St. Lucia mission is the delivery of life-saving vascular surgery, a service currently not available on the island.
“Quite a few patients require fistulas for dialysis, and it has been incredibly difficult for us to provide them access,” said Dr. Richard Burt, a general surgeon at St. Jude Hospital, a vital healthcare center forced to operate out of a repurposed soccer stadium since a fire destroyed its original building in 2009. “The Air Force medical team not only brought expertise but also resources that allowed us to perform these procedures at no cost to the patients.”
The need for vascular surgery is a pressing concern echoed by both St. Lucian and U.S. medical professionals.
“Both major hospitals where we are working, Owen King European Union Hospital and St. Jude Hospital, do not have a vascular surgeon on staff,” explained U.S. Air Force Col. Robert Noll, 349th Medical Squadron commander and vascular surgeon. “That means patients who need critical procedures, like permanent dialysis access, often go without care or have to travel abroad. This is one of the vascular surgical procedures we’re providing here.”
For Noll and the LAMAT team, the mission is twofold: providing essential care while simultaneously sharpening their deployment readiness skills necessary for effective medical response in a variety of challenging scenarios.
“This mission is about readiness,” Noll emphasized. “We’re training in conditions that closely resemble what we might face in a contingency operation – limited equipment, fewer personnel, and a high demand for care. It reinforces our ability to perform under pressure.”
The collaborative spirit between medical professionals has fostered a valuable exchange of knowledge and expertise.
“Inspiration comes from the partner nation teams,” said Noll. “Whereas we oftentimes rely on our technology a little too heavily, we have learned from them that we can take care of more than we thought we could without some of the bells and whistles.
“The teams that we’re working with at St. Jude have done a remarkable job adapting and using what they have,” added Noll. “My team and I have adapted to the limitations of the facility by using ingenuity, realizing that there are some things we don’t necessarily have to have for every case. There is perhaps a little more emphasis on the patient themselves, relying more on physical exam and good history, taking some of the basics that we learned in training that sometimes gets lost with technology and electronic healthcare records.”
St. Lucian doctors, working side-by-side with their U.S. counterparts, are refining techniques and gaining in-depth insight to perform simpler vascular procedures independently.
“There has been a lot of information exchanged,” Burt said. “We’ve shared procedural insights, tips and strategies that will benefit both our teams long after this mission ends. The knowledge exchange and collaboration has been invaluable.”
The demand for care is evident in the crowds gathering outside St. Jude Hospital, drawn by news broadcasts and word-of-mouth accounts of the life-changing procedures being offered.
“This hospital has always been supported by volunteer efforts, and we look forward to these missions,” Burt said. “The community depends on them.”
The impact of LAMAT 2025 extends far beyond the operating room. The mission embodies a commitment to partnership building and a dedication to ensuring operational readiness for any situation.
Col. Noll emphasized that medical readiness is a cornerstone of operational effectiveness. Working alongside St. Lucian partners, he added, ensures both teams and the local healthcare system are better prepared to handle real-world emergencies and disaster response scenarios.
“This LAMAT mission has been outstanding,” said Noll. “We picked up as a team and went to a new environment. We are not always familiar with our surroundings and resources, but we are being put to the test to use the skills and training that we have. We are using those skills to help the host nation and the patients in the area. It prepares us well for the future because we could be deployed to another place where we are forced to adapt to a new environment and limited resources.”
LAMAT 2025 will continue its vital work in St. Lucia until March 8, leaving a legacy of enhanced medical care and strengthened partnerships. The mission will then move on to other Caribbean nations and Guyana, extending its reach and impact throughout the region.
Source: United States SOUTHERN COMMAND
CASTRIES, Saint Lucia –
U.S. military medical professionals and their partner nation counterparts launched the latest iteration of the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) mission in Saint Lucia Feb. 24, 2025, underscoring the ongoing commitment to strengthening partnerships and enhancing military readiness.
The multidisciplinary team including surgeons, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, and dentists, drawn from both reserve and active-duty units, will work alongside local healthcare providers hospitals and clinics across the island to provide critical care while honing their skills in a deployed environment.
“We deeply appreciate the invaluable contributions (of all involved),” said Honorable Moses Jn. Baptiste, Minister for Health, Wellness, and Elderly Affairs. “The medical expertise and resources provided through this mission will positively impact the lives of many Saint Lucians, ensuring access to specialized services that are otherwise difficult to obtain.”
These patient interactions provide invaluable experience for the U.S. military medical personnel, allowing them to maintain proficiency in their specialties while encountering diverse medical cases they may not encounter back home in the United States.
“This mission provides a unique opportunity for our medical professionals to practice their skills in a deployed setting, working with different equipment and alongside our partner nation counterparts,” said Col. David Good, a cardiologist with LAMAT. “We have 46 members from six reserve units and two active-duty units, including vascular surgeons, general trauma surgeons, ICU nurses, and biomedical technicians who are essential to keeping our medical devices operational.”
Beyond direct patient care, the mission also features several knowledge exchange opportunities to include a Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) lesson. This training aims to enhance Saint Lucian first responders, healthcare professionals, and law enforcement officers’ skills in trauma care for various emergencies, further enhancing the interoperability between U.S. and their counterparts in the region.
The LAMAT mission exemplifies the commitment of the U.S. military to strengthening partnerships and enhancing medical readiness through real-world experience and collaboration. The skills honed and lessons learned during this mission will have a lasting impact on the ability of U.S. active duty and reserve Airmen to provide exceptional medical care in any environment.