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Military medicine:
Opportunities to make a difference in hostile environments
By Dionisio Magsipoc

The Center of Excellence’s Public Health Unit, dedicated to increasing "public health expertise and operational capacity in disaster management and humanitarian assistance" in the Asia-Pacific Region, is undergoing a major informational expansion. This development is in response to advances in telecommunications, computers and their convergence, making information and communication pervasive in real time and accessible to everyone involved in disaster management, said Dr. Joel Selanikio, the Center’s director of research.

"We’re researching what has been done in past disaster management so that we can put it in our website, all in one easily accessible way, so that people will have access to all the public health information about disasters in one particular place," Selanikio said.

Selanikio is one of three delegates representing the Center and Tripler Army Medical Center who gave presentations inspired by this year’s theme of "Hostile Environments: Challenges to Military Medicine" at the 10th Asia Pacific Military Medicine Conference (APMMC) held May 7 through 12 in Singapore. Joining him were Dr. Thomas Ditzler, director of research for the Department of Psychiatry and LTC Mike Brumage, U.S. Army Medical Corps staff internist assigned to Tripler.

The APMMC is a regional forum for military medical professionals to discuss scientific and military medical issues and cooperation. It provides an opportunity for participants in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions to exchange ideas about how to provide the best health care possible. The conference drew close to 400 delegates who made 300 presentations and represented 28 countries. These numbers broke all previous records.

"Interest in responding to conflict environment is rising to a very great degree," Tom Ditzler said, who in his presentation talked about methods of dealing with the media in a complex environment, analytical risk management, counter-measure development and security issues. "The reason there were so many people [in attendance] is because more and more people are seeing the necessity of addressing the issue."

Brumage, who is working on a telemedicine project at Tripler, said the conference provided him the opportunity to link up with other medical professionals who were able to give him advice on his project.

"I found out more about what’s happening in the U.S. Army by going to Singapore for an international conference than I ever do in the United States," Brumage said. "It’s only on an international meeting that you really get an idea about things that are going on. A lot of those projects affected some of these that I do at Tripler."

Countries represented this year included Singapore, United States, Australia, Bangladesh, Fiji, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peoples Republic of China, Philippines, Russia, Samoa, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Tonga, Thailand, Vanuatu and Vietnam.

Topics discussed during the conference covered military aspects of humanitarian deployment, environmental medicine, infectious disease, psychiatry, combat medicine, medical strategies for low-intensity conflict, and technological advances in medicine.

Attendees unanimously voted the New Zealand Defense Force to co-host next year’s conference.

Humanitarian Campaign
By Dionisio Magsipoc

On June 8, 2000, the Center of Excellence and the University of Hawaii spearheaded an airwave campaign to remind the public that a collaboration of civilian agencies and the U.S. military, which shifted roles from waging war during the Cold War to helping build peace today, is alive and well in Hawaii.

Participating in the dialogue were the Center's Acting Director Dr. Patricia R. Hastings, Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Medical Corps, John Otte, education and training program manager, and Anthony J. Marsella, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii. They emphasized that collaboration between the military and civilians is the cornerstone of a successful humanitarian mission, and that the two need to fully integrate to respond quickly and effectively to seek solutions to current issues and problems.

"We're getting the word out more and more," Hastings said. "The military has recognized the usefulness of a center like the Center of Excellence. We have brought together academic institutions, the military and civilian institutions - all of those that have to work together in order to make a humanitarian mission work."

The one-hour discussion was made possible by Hawaii Public Radio affiliate KIPO 89.3.

Click here to listen to the broadcast.
(Requires Real Player - Download it now.)

Striking Gold
By Robin Hayden

Planners for Cobra Gold 00, a full-scale military exercise conducted in Thailand during the first few weeks of May 2000, made use of Center staff to add subject matter expertise and consultation, enhancing the realism of exercise events.

During several planning sessions this iteration of the Cobra Gold series was designed with a peace operations scenario, versus those from prior years, where traditional warfighting was much more the norm. The Center team had to work hard at insuring that once the exercise began, the new peace operations focus was not derailed by habitual thought of previous years of play.

This year's exercise highlighted many of the major players in humanitarian coordination, human rights, laws of armed conflict, political and civilian components and the media. It even included a staged Non-combatant Evacuation Operation (NEO). NEOs present special challenges to military personnel and civilians because they require the use of the embassy's staff. Singapore played a role in the NEO play as well.

The participation of a humanitarian coordinator gave the training audience the experience of working with civilian professionals on many levels. "I think they got the point...the humanitarian relief community does not fit neatly in a wire diagram to meet command purposes," said Sharon McHale, training advisor for the Center.

McHale explained that in a real operation involving non-governmental organizations and the international relief community, accurate and timely information is not always available. "Relief coordinators often wear several hats. They may be in the field working and not physically available to answer questions the command poses. They may not have the answers even if available, or have answers that will match up with what the military commander needs." For McHale, the play often involved coming up with an unscripted response, a point she illustrates neatly by grasping at the air above her head.

McHale's efforts were complimented by the work of fellow training advisor Jeff Lewis in several areas, including all aspects of food, water and sanitation management. Peter Leentjes, another training advisor with the Center, acted as ambassador of more than one fictional country several times throughout the exercise, and as the special representative to the secretary general of the United Nations and leader of the opposition forces. Robin Hayden, injected media articles in response to the actions of the commander and component commanders to illustrate how their military actions might reflect on them from the world community.

Exchanging Information to Build
a Disaster-Resistant Asia

By James T. Wigdel

At the "Building a Disaster-Resistant Asia: Managing for the 21st Century" conference, held in Honolulu, Hawaii earlier this year, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA) offered U.S. firms the opportunity to meet one-on-one with Asian delegates to discuss disaster mitigation and preparedness projects worth about $2 billion.

The conference brought together representatives from 10 Asian countries and representatives from about 65 U.S. firms who spent three days exchanging information on projects related to disaster management. The conference also hosted several seminar sessions on cutting-edge emergency management systems and technology. This served to furnish common ground for the participants to build on their relationships.

Natural disasters have an impact on a country's economy, food security, agricultural products, water, sanitation, the environment and health. Asia is the most disaster-prone region in the world. In 1998 alone, disasters caused $38 billion in economic losses according to information provided by the TDA.

For this reason, the conference focused primarily on mitigation activities, which minimize the consequences of natural hazards and preparedness activities that prepare for an effective response. Within this framework, the conference highlighted crucial issues in the emergency management sector such as technology, management, planning and financial loans and incentives.

Delegates from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam presented 42 projects to the U.S. firm's representatives. Each centered on emergency management or commercial opportunities.

Delegates also heard presentations on the latest technologies in disaster preparedness including talks on advances in technology used to forecast severe storms: hurricanes and floods, the Global Disaster Information Network (See PDC story on page 14), high resolution technologies for disaster management, among many others.

For information on upcoming conferences or trade development opportunities, visit the U.S. Trade and Development Agency Web site at www.tda.gov. Also, a CD-ROM containing the seminar presentations is available through the U.S. TDA Website library.

Asia-Pacific Regional Senior
Leadership Peace Operations Seminar
A Mechanism to International Peace and Security
By James T. Wigdel

The first event of the Asia Pacific Peace Operations Capacity Building Program took place at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Manila, Philippines from May 31 to June 2, 2000. The Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, the United Nations Department of Peace Keeping Operations and the Philippines' National Disaster Coordinating Council jointly sponsored the three-day seminar/workshop titled "Asia-Pacific Regional Senior Leadership Peace Operations Seminar."

The purpose of the seminar was to present concepts and options for peace operations to senior Asia-Pacific leaders. It was designed to develop awareness of the nature of peace operations, generate support for peace operations and to begin preparation for participation in multilateral, multifunctional training and exercises.

Orlando S. Mercado, secretary of national defense of the Philippines, opened the seminar. He said the seminar was about knowing how to look back. "When we know how to look back, it is easier to go to where we want to be."

Recent events in the region provided a beginning point for review and discussion. Brigadier General John Castellaw, former commander of U.S. forces in E. Timor and Major Tim Warrington, commander of British forces in E. Timor, presented their experiences from E. Timor.

Castellaw, who is now deputy commander of the U.S. Marine Forces of the Pacific, said the mission of U.S. forces in E. Timor is to restore peace and security. He stressed a need to develop multinational exercises and regional and national peace operation activities "in order to create an environment of peace and stability in the region."

Warrington emphasized the need to "integrate peace-training operations with all the military allies in the United Nations."

Among other topics, the German, Nordic, Australian and Canadian models for peacekeeping operations were presented by a series of subject matter experts. The discussions centered on the need to develop an infrastructure for crisis prevention and civilian conflict management as the fundamental component of modern peacekeeping operations. Other key elements in modern peacekeeping operations include a sound civil-military relationship and proper training and education.

Twenty-four countries with 85 delegates and observers participated in the seminar. The participating countries included: Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, Tonga the Russia, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam.

The seminar concluded with both military and civilian leaders agreeing to continue developing awareness of the nature of peace operations and generating support for peace operations at a multinational, multifunctional level.

Major General Ruben Ciron, the Armed Forces of the Philippines deputy chief of staff for plans, in his closing remarks, said "we have gathered as dear friends to discuss the various issues and concerns on how we can make this world a peaceful place to live through peacekeeping." After bidding the delegates farewell he added, "let us act like tigers to advocate for a campaign to establish a community of peace minded nations."

A complete summary of the Manila conference, including a synopsis of each of the presentations and speeches and list of attendees can be viewed from the Center's website by clicking here.

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