U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa strengthens bilateral medical readiness during Keen Sword 27
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa, Japan — U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa personnel trained alongside Japan Self-Defense Forces and joint medical partners during Keen Sword 27, a bilateral exercise that tested the hospital’s ability to receive, triage and treat large numbers of simulated casualties Oct. 26-27.
The exercise placed U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa at the center of a series of mass-casualty scenarios involving simulated blast injuries, structural-collapse trauma, chemical burns and vehicle accidents. U.S. and Japanese medical personnel worked together to triage and treat simulated injured warfighters while coordinating patient movement, decontamination and ongoing care.
The hospital’s participation demonstrated its role in supporting a medically ready force and sustaining care for military personnel and civilians during a large-scale contingency on Okinawa. Japan Self-Defense Forces personnel actively participated in the exercise, working alongside U.S. service members representing each military service. Expeditionary Medical Facility Alpha, Camp Pendleton, California, also supported the training as a Role 3-capable medical unit, adding expeditionary medical capacity to the hospital’s mass-casualty response.
The scenarios challenged medical teams to maintain coordinated care across multiple casualty waves and conditions. Hospital personnel practiced emergency intake, triage, chemical decontamination and manual patient-tracking procedures during simulated communications and network disruptions. Cmdr. Rich Greenfield, U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa’s director for Expeditionary Medicine, served as the officer in charge for the hospital’s participation and integration with the overall Keen Sword exercise. Greenfield briefed III Marine Expeditionary Force Commanding General Lt. Gen. Benjamin Watson on the hospital’s plan to provide care for military and civilian casualties on Okinawa. Greenfield said, “it is important to stress test these scenarios so that when our Corpsmen and providers see this again possibly in real life, their training will kick in and help give them the resilience to make it through such stressful real-world eventualities.” CDR Greenfield also stressed the importance of working together with all different stakeholders saying, “ we do not want to try and figure out who we need to call for the first time during the actual emergency!”
Watson observed the exercise and met with Capt. Richard Gilliard Jr., commanding officer of U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa, to discuss the importance of the hospital’s mission in maintaining a medically ready force and supporting joint and bilateral operations in the region. The general asked Gilliard what he could do to help support the Naval Hospital. Watson said, “the hospital is a crucial component of the total effort during these types of events.”
Observers from the University of the Ryukyus Hospital Emergency Management Department also attended the training to collaborate with U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa emergency planners, while medical planners from III Marine Expeditionary Force helped coordinate the hospital’s participation.
Keen Sword 27 provided an opportunity for U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa, Japanese partners and supporting joint forces to refine interoperability, validate medical-response procedures and strengthen readiness to care for casualties during a crisis.
U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Okinawa supports the Defense Health Agency's U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa, which is the largest overseas medical treatment facility staffed by active-duty Navy personnel and stands at the ready to respond to contingency operations to support the U.S. Pacific Command’s area of operations. It is a critical regional asset for direct care delivery, regional referrals, and medical contingency operations. The staff at USNH Okinawa understand their vital role as pre-positioned, forward-deployed naval forces within the first island chain, aligned and in support of joint military commands and operations.
Trey Savitz, Public Affairs Officer U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa, Japan Comm: 011-81-971-7024 DSN: (315) 646-7024 isaac.s.savitz.civ@health.mil
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