PATTAYA, THAILAND, Tuesday 24 November 2015 – The Initial Planning Conference (IPC) for the ASEAN Military Medicine – Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Exercise 2016 (AM-HEx 2016) was held at the Grand Heritage Hotel, Pattaya Thailand.
The IPC was organized by the co-chairs of the Military Medicine Experts’ Working Group (EWG on MM) and the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Experts’ Working Group (EWG on HADR); Thailand, Russia, Laos and Japan. It was attended by representative from ADMM-Plus member states and the ASEAN Secretariat.
During the conference, participants were briefed on the exercise concept, focus, organization and scenario, as well as the time frame and sequence of events. ADMM-Plus participants also discussed the exercise logistics and administration matters. The exercise is scheduled to be held in September 2016.
This exercise aim to increase the capability of joint operations; to test the readiness of the Rapid Response Team; to integrate resources and equipment so as to combine support in a timely and effective manner for HADR; and to enhance experience and familiarity with the arrangements and joint operations on MM and HADR. Specifically, the exercise plan to evaluate structure, mechanisms, administrative arrangement and SOPs of the newly established ASEAN Center of Military Medicine, as well as to test the draft ADMM-Plus HADR SOPs that was prepared by Laos and Japan.
The exercise was first planned by the co-chairs of the EWG on MM and EWG on HADR in April 2014 in Thailand, while the Concept Development Conference (CDC) was held in August 2015 in Laos. The exercise will be divided into four stages; Force Integration Training (FIT), Command Post Exercise (CPX), Field Training Exercise (FTX) and After Action Review (AAR). The exercise will be held in Chonburi province, Bangkok and surrounding areas, Thailand.
