On September 22, within the framework of the National Guard State Partnership Program, ten domestic emergency and response experts from the Oregon National Guard’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP) began a series of informational and practical exchanges at a training site near the headquarters of the 249th Engineers, Vietnam People’s Army. Nine Citizen-Soldiers from the Oregon Army National Guard’s 224th Engineer Company, and one Citizen-Airman from the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Fighter Wing, are conducting a variety of search and rescue scenarios throughout the week-long visit including; rappelling, rescue hoist operations, casualty extraction and rigging.
The Oregon National Guard formally engaged in a partnership with The National Committee for Search and Rescue of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (VINASARCOM) in November of 2012 through the National Guard State Partnership Program. This exchange is designed to use the expertise of Oregon’s CERFP to enhance the capabilities of VINASARCOM in areas such as light and medium urban search and extraction and medical first response. This partnership also provides the Oregon National Guard with an opportunity to learn skills and procedures used in Vietnam in times of disaster and emergencies that may not be common in the U.S.
