ImmediateResponse

Immediate Response 25 is a U.S. Army large-scale exercise enhancing cyber and CBRNE defense capabilities, NATO integration through state partnership readiness programs and multinational exercises to equip NATO’s regional plans and uphold U.S. commitments to the Alliance. Immediate Response 25 demonstrates multinational live fires conducted with NATO networks, a cyber exercise, water crossing, and CBRNE exercises from May 26 - June 9 with over 12,000 participants and hosted in eight countries to include Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Slovakia.

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Video by John Benedetto

MHSRS 2024: Medical Assessment and Readiness System (MARS)

Defense Health Agency

Aug. 26, 2024 | 2:52

The Military Health Research Symposium honors the Medical Assessment and Readiness System (MARS) Team, based at Womack Army Medical Center for their outstanding contribution to military medical research.

The Medical Assessment and Readiness System (MARS) became fully functional at Womack Army Medical Center (WAMC), Fort Liberty, NC in January 2020. The original database was created by the Army Office of the Surgeon General (OTSG) in 2011 at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine. Its primary purpose was to provide medical readiness data in the form of the Medical Readiness Assessment Tool (MRAT), which later became embedded into the Army’s Medical Operational Data System to allow providers and commanders to see a soldier’s medical readiness to deploy. It thus became the first predictive analytics solution to service member medical readiness forecasting. In 2016, subsequent OTSG personnel assigned to maintain the MRAT program were not well-positioned to conduct the requisite clinical research activity needed to validate and enhance the system. This began a 4-year process of regulatory approvals for WAMC to acquire this database with the support of our partner, The Consortium for Health and Military Performance (CHAMP) of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD. MARS is now a repository continually updated to capture longitudinal sociodemographic, clinical, and administrative statuses. It has two fully dedicated research servers, full system access clearance for our database managers and data scientists, complete Institutional Review Board and HIPAA approval, and fully executed data sharing agreements with the Defense Health Agency and other Department of Defense (DoD) organizations. MARS includes data on over three million active-duty service members. The longitudinal datasets permit retrospective observation of health and military career trajectories for over 15 million person-years of active service. Over 100 variables are available for analyses to include demographic and anthropomorphic data, body composition and vital signs, diagnostic and procedure codes from direct and purchased care, complete health record data to include laboratory and imaging results, deployment history, military occupational specialty, unit assignment, promotion history, medical profile data, and standard testing such as physical fitness and weapons qualification scores.

Albania
In Albania, the New Jersey Army National Guard will conduct live-fire activities with Albanian Armed Forces, as part of the State Partnership Program.
Bulgaria
The USAREUR-AF Band & Chorus, along with other U.S. Army units, will conduct a series of dynamic performances and community engagements across Bulgaria ahead of DEFENDER 25.

In Bulgaria, the 31st Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) Brigade, Alabama Army National Guard, will have personnel provide protection support to NATO’s 1st German Netherlands Corps and command and control of all CBRNE units and training in Immediate Response 25. A CBRN headquarters will be established at a satellite location to execute a division-level CBRN mission command center.

Additionally, the Bulgarian national exercise, Bulgarian Sentinel, will be linked to Immediate Response 25 and consists of a battalion from 3^rd Brigade Combat Team, 1^st Armored Division, one Forward Land Forces (FLF) multinational battlegroup and Bulgarian Land Force Command conducting a battalion-level live-fire exercise at two separate training areas. (The FLF is one of eight battlegroups contributing to NATO’s forward presence and hosted by Bulgaria, with Italy being the framework nation.)
Croatia

In Croatia, troops from the U.S. Army 18th Military Police Brigade, 21st TSC, will establish a Theater Detention Facility and a Joint Interrogation and Debriefing Center (JIDC) to increase detention operations, expeditionary deployment operations and command and control capabilities with Allies and partners. Role 2 ancillary medical support will be supported by the Croatian Armed Forces.

Soldiers from the Maryland Army National Guard will conduct a live fire exercise with their state partner, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Additionally, a mechanized brigade attack training event will take place with soldiers from the U.S., Albania, Croatia, Germany, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Slovenia.

Two Croatian national exercises, named Lift and Laufer, will be linked to exercise Immediate Response 25.
Greece

Immediate Response kicks off in Greece - The Hellenic Army will host an opening ceremony with multinational participation marking the commencement of Immediate Response 25. Equipment and weaponry being used during the exercise will also be on display.

In Greece, a water crossing and battalion air assault will occur with personnel from the 194th Engineer Brigade, Tennessee Army National Guard, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Vermont Army National Guard, and Greek 20th Armored Division.

Combined arms live-fire training will take place near Petrochori. A chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive training event will take place at a Hellenic port to demonstrate a chemical attack, disrupting port operations, and exercise decontamination scenarios with French, Greek and U.S. forces including the U.S. Army 21st TSC and 184th Ordnance Battalion, 52nd Explosive Ordnance Device Group, 20th CBRNE Command.
Kosovo
In Kosovo, personnel from 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania Army National Guard will participate in Immediate Response 25 as a division headquarters overseeing four multinational brigades.
Montenegro

In Montenegro, Maine Army National Guard, Montenegro Armed Forces, and host nation government agencies will conduct a cyber range enhancing host nation cyber defense and communications security to deter and defend in crisis and conflict.

U.S. Navy Maritime Expeditionary Security Group 2, and Montenegrin and Albania Naval Forces will conduct port security sustainment training in Montenegro and transfer to Albania to improve force projection and integration in the Adriatic.
North Macedonia

A public event will be held in the city of Kavadarci, where NATO Allies and partners will showcase military equipment and vehicles being used during Immediate Response 25.

The 86^th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Vermont Army National Guard will conduct a multinational live fire exercise alongside their state partner, North Macedonia.

In North Macedonia, the 86th IBCT will conduct training activities alongside the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia, Austrian Armed Forces, Albanian Armed Forces, Hellenic Army, Kosovo Security Forces, and Armed Forces of Montenegro. Activities at Krivolak Training Area include mountain training, field training exercise, combined arms live-fire and small arms live-fires.
Slovakia
In Slovakia, U.S. Army 1st Global Field Medical Laboratory, 20th CBRNE Command, will conduct defensive CBRNE tasks to mitigate threats while being integrated with a multinational CBRNE task force at the CBRN Training and Testing Center.

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