Hawaii National Guard in Cebu for training with PHL first responders

Members of the Hawaii National Guard are currently in Cebu province for bi-lateral urban search and rescue (US&R) training with Philippine disaster response teams, the US Embassy in Manila said Monday.

 

More than 100 personnel from the Hawaii National Guard, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Red Cross, the Emergency Response Unit Foundation, and the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council began the 10-day training course on March 3.

 

"The training, a US&R subject matter expert exchange, involves basic and advanced practical application in rope rescue, confined space operations, shoring, medical search and extraction, lifting and hauling, and breaching and breaking," the embassy said.

 

The training is meant to familiarize the AFP as well as other local first esponders with US&R operations and pre-hospital trauma medical skills.

 

The members of the Hawaii National Guard are scheduled to return to the Philippines in May for the annual Balikatan military exercises between the Philippines and the US for more training and field exercises.

 

The National Guard is a US reserve military force. Among its functions is emergency response in times of calamity. — JDS, GMA News