Polish Army Pvt. Piotr Maciejewski of the 33rd Air Base and U.S. Army Sgt. Christian Gochnour of the Texas Army National Guard’s 162nd Medical Company – Area Support treat a simulated casualty during a mass casualty exercise in Powidz, Poland, May 15, 2024. The two medics work through language barriers by relying on basic medical terminology and shared field procedures during the vehicle collision scenario. The training enhanced Polish-U.S. coordination and tested the readiness of allied emergency response teams. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan L. Araujo)
VIEW ORIGINAL
Simulated casualties await first responders at the scene of a staged vehicle collision during an emergency services exercise in Powidz, Poland, May 15, 2024. Role players wear moulage—realistic mock injuries and fake blood—to help emergency teams train under more lifelike conditions. The scenario tested Polish and U.S. coordination in a high-stress, multinational response environment. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan L. Araujo)
VIEW ORIGINAL
POWIDZ, Poland – Sirens echoed across the base as smoke rose from a fire near a U.S. military housing area. Within minutes, American and Polish emergency teams were side by side—treating the injured, securing the scene, and putting their combined readiness to the test.
Thankfully, the smoke was simulated and the victims dressed in moulage, but the lessons learned from the emergency services exercise in Powidz, May 15 were real.
A moulaged hand belonging to one of the role players hangs from a vehicle window during a staged crash scenario in an emergency services exercise in Powidz, Poland, May 15, 2024. The realistic injuries and visual effects enhance the training environment, helping Polish and U.S. responders prepare for real-world emergencies. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan L. Araujo)
VIEW ORIGINAL
Fake blood is splattered across a vehicle door as part of a simulated crash scene during an emergency services exercise in Powidz, Poland, May 15, 2024. The use of moulage and graphic effects created a realistic training environment to help Polish and U.S. responders practice casualty assessment and response procedures. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan L. Araujo)
VIEW ORIGINAL
“This was a Polish-led emergency drill, but we were part of the scenario setup and played victims,” said Michael Glover, U.S. Army Garrison Poland Fire Chief. “Polish responders managed both incidents quickly and professionally. It’s exactly what we want to see—fast, effective response from our host nation partners.”
The scenario involved two emergency events: a simulated fire in a U.S. tent camp and a staged vehicle collision between a Polish fire truck and a U.S. military transport. Eight individuals—five American Soldiers and three Polish firefighters—role-played as injured and treated on site.
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Isabel Mantooth, a medical officer with the 162nd Medical Company – Area Support, briefs her team as they begin receiving simulated casualties in the triage area during an emergency services exercise in Powidz, Poland, May 15, 2024. Mantooth coordinated initial treatment efforts and ensured proper casualty flow and medical documentation alongside Polish responders. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan L. Araujo)
VIEW ORIGINAL
U.S. Army medics from the 162nd Medical Company – Area Support, a Polish military medic from the 33rd Air Base, and firefighters from the State Fire Service (Państwowa Straż Pożarna) arrive at the site of a simulated vehicle collision during an emergency services exercise in Powidz, Poland, May 15, 2024. The multinational team worked together to assess and treat simulated casualties, reinforcing allied coordination and emergency response capabilities. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan L. Araujo)
VIEW ORIGINAL
“We drilled it like it was real,” said 1st Lt. Jeffrey Cooley, treatment platoon leader with the Texas Army National Guard’s 162nd Medical Company – Area Support. “Our medics responded quickly, and this gave us a rare opportunity to work through the full process with our Polish counterparts—from point of injury to treatment. That kind of coordination is what makes us stronger together.”
Members of the local crisis management teams from Powidz and Słupca County join Col. Mariusz Zakrzewski, spokesperson for the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command, in observing an emergency services exercise in Powidz, Poland, May 15, 2024. Their presence underscored the importance of civil-military coordination in planning and executing joint emergency response efforts with U.S. and Polish forces. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan L. Araujo)
VIEW ORIGINAL
Support came from multiple Polish response units, including Państwowa Straż Pożarna – state fire from the nearby city of Słupca, local volunteer fire brigades, the Żandarmeria Wojskowa (Polish Gendarmerie), local police, and medical personnel. The event also involved county and municipal crisis management teams, operating under Poland’s National Firefighting and Rescue System. Powidz located about 50 miles from garrison and V Corps headquarters in Poznan, serves as the logistical heartbeat of American forces on NATO’s Eastern Flank.
The U.S. medical response was coordinated by the 162nd MCAS, who provided ambulances and ran casualty care operations from a field clinic.
Polish Army Pvt. Piotr Maciejewski of the 33rd Air Base and U.S. Army Spc. Brenda Cabrera of the 162nd Medical Company – Area Support assess a simulated casualty during an emergency services exercise in Powidz, Poland, May 15, 2024. Despite a language barrier, the two medics successfully coordinated care by relying on shared medical knowledge and hands-on communication. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan L. Araujo)
VIEW ORIGINAL
U.S. Army medics from the 162nd Medical Company – Area Support arrive on scene to respond to simulated casualties during an emergency services exercise in Powidz, Poland, May 15, 2024. The medics provided triage and treatment during a staged vehicle collision scenario, working alongside Polish responders to strengthen joint emergency response capabilities. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan L. Araujo)
VIEW ORIGINAL
Specialist Brenda Cabrera, one of the medics on scene, worked directly with a Polish counterpart despite the language barrier.
“He didn’t speak English, but we figured it out,” Cabrera said. “Medical response is universal. You point, you show what you need, and they get it. My NCO helped bridge the gap and made sure communication didn’t slow us down.”
The exercise was led by Col. Arkadiusz Golonka, commander of the 33rd Air Base, and Marek Dąbrowski, district administrator or starosta of Słupca County—underscoring the tight civil-military cooperation that supports emergency readiness in the region.
A Polish Soldier serves grilled kielbasa and pork neck to a U.S. Soldier following a joint emergency services exercise in Powidz, Poland, May 15, 2024. Coordinators from the 33rd Air Base invited U.S. participants to join them for a cookout after the training, fostering camaraderie and strengthening bonds between Polish and American forces. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan L. Araujo)
VIEW ORIGINAL
Polish Soldiers and medical personnel gather under a tent to share a hot meal following an emergency services exercise in Powidz, Poland, May 15, 2024. The joint training event brought together military and civilian responders to strengthen coordination and build relationships through shared readiness efforts. (U.S. Army photo by Bryan L. Araujo)
VIEW ORIGINAL
Glover said exercises like this emergency service exercise help validate Poland Provided Logistical Support and reinforce U.S. Army Garrison Poland status as an enabling platform for U.S. rotational forces.
