Blog Posts tagged with "Office of Defense cooperation"

The Quadriga atop the Brandenburg Gate, the French Embassy, the transparent cupola of the Reichstag building, Tiergarten Park, the German Chancellery, the renowned hotel Adlon, the home of the 19th century German painter Max Liebermann. These are the exquisite sites that one views from the roof of the US Embassy to the Federal Republic of Germany, on Pariser Platz in Berlin. This is a unique view, one afforded to only a select few by virtue of access to and through the embassy.

Members of the US EUCOM J9 Interagency team atop the US Embassy, Berlin

Our team was comprised of Department of State, Department of Justice and Department of Energy representatives to the command, as well as two active duty Air Force officers, a strategic infrastructure expert, and the Deputy Director of the Directorate, me. Our visiting interagency team was a representative slice of a Directorate which is a unique blending of 10 federal agency partners, together with Department of Defense civilians, military members and contractors. Together we comprise the command’s “interagency team”.

The team that hosted us in Berlin (and which enjoys this impressive view every day!) is also known as the US Country Team. Indeed we were treated to a “Country Team meeting” chaired by the Deputy Chief of Mission, the senior Department of State representative at the embassy. He was joined by a sampling of agency partners hosted at the embassy, from the FBI, to the Department of Homeland Security, to the Department of Commerce, to the Defense Department (DOD).

Our two interagency teams met and we soon discovered that we had many similarities between us. I have a bit of perspective in this regard, for while I now serve on the interagency team of the US military command in Stuttgart, previously I served at the US Embassy in Denmark and at the US Embassy in Germany…when it was located at its “temporary” home along the Rhine River in Bonn.

Despite similarities, there were also evident differences. In Stuttgart, the DOD partner greatly outnumbers other hosted agency partners; with some 800 DOD personnel matched against about 30 other agency personnel. At the US Embassy, the Department of State outnumbers all others, but the disparities are much smaller. Stuttgart’s command is led by a 4-star Admiral, while Berlin’s Country Team is lead by an Ambassador. Both organizations exercise wide control from Berlin and Stuttgart respectively, with the embassy bi-nationally focused and representing US interests throughout all of Germany, with subordinate consulates in Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg and Leipzig. While the military command has a regional focus and an “area of responsibility” of all Europe, Israel and parts of Eurasia.

Members of EUCOM’s Interagency Team; (L to R) Mike Anderson, Gary Bullard, Lt Col Patti Egleston, Jared Irish, Matt Cline, and Cathy Blank

Both organizations conduct once weekly “Country Team” meetings. The embassy’s is led by the Ambassador while the military command’s meeting (called the “Senior Decision Cell”) is co-led by the command’s two deputies; a 3-star general and a former Ambassador serving as the Civilian Deputy.

Most importantly, each organization sees the value in the active participation and hosting of other federal agency partners. Each embodies a “whole of government” philosophy fully cognizant that America’s interests abroad are best served not just by traditional executive Departments operating abroad; the Departments of State and Defense, but instead by all members of “America’s Country Team”.

Mike Anderson
Acting Director
 J9 Interagency Partnering Directorate

*This is the final blog for this series; the first can be seen here and the second here.*

The final day of the Wounded Warrior team’s trip in the Baltics began with a visit to Magdaleena East Central Tallinn Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in Estonia and the best hospital in Tallinn for rehabilitation.

The hospital tour -- provided by Dr. Heidi Gill, the head of the rehabilitation department -- highlighting their various rehabilitation areas and capabilities, was quite interesting because of the unique therapies available to patients. Certain therapies that are considered homeopathic in the U.S. are commonplace in the Baltic and Scandanavian countries; they use "mud" therapy, hydro-therapy and also extreme cold therapy which has shown to be effective with treating rheumatic disorders and severe depression. The temperatures in the severe cold therapy are well below -100 Celsius!

After the tour we were pleasantly surprised to see that the lecture facilities were the best out of all the previous places visited and we settled in for the day’s discussions. The group of Estonians who joined us came from quite diverse areas: most were from the Estonian Military Medical organization, others were local doctors, psychologists, nurses and social workers. The focus was on medical lectures followed by our entire team going on stage for an open panel question and answer session.

Dr. James Ecklund, former head of Neuroscience at Walter Reed and world-renowned neurosurgeon and expert on blast related brain injuries is interviewed.

Dr. Ecklund presented his lecture on blast induced brain injuries and was followed by Dr. Polo and his lecture that focused on traumatic brain injuries. Both lectures were specifically tailored to the audience and group discussion from the audience was light during the lectures. An important part of security cooperation is understanding the culture of the countries you are in; in Estonia people are less likely to ask question in large group settings. However, during the breaks or after presentations there will typically be very in depth discussions. Just as a predicted, during the breaks and after the presentation the team was vigorously engaged with the audience on a variety of topics. Although our schedule was tight we were still able to do some effective networking and generate ideas for future areas of cooperation.

After a quick stop for lunch the team began the 1.5 hour drive to Haapsalu, a beautiful city close to the Baltic Sea with a large castle partly restored and partly still in ruins. Haapsalu is also home to the Haapsalu Neurological Rehab center, the best neurological rehab center in the country. It also boasts a beautiful promenade and gorgeous views from most of the windows which adds to the restorative effects of the center. The view in winter is also beautiful but in more of an austere kind of way. The lake in front of the center is frozen and there were actually ice roads with cars driving over them while we watched from the large bay windows.

Dr. Kadri Englas, the head of their rehab department, and Priit Eelmae, the hospital director, met us at the entrance and talked a little bit out our team and the overall mission. The leadership at this center is outstanding and they are always looking for new ways to partner with the U.S.

Here I'm discussing a EUCOM Humanitarian Assistance project for an amputee care center/prosthesis lab that will be a joint project with the Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs, Estonian Defense Forces and Ministry of Defense.

Priit told us about the hospital’s history and current capabilities. He stressed the work they have done with wounded Estonian Soldiers in their state of the art gait lab which is able to digitally capture how a person walks; they use this information to tailor rehab programs. This is particularly useful with amputees learning to walk again with their new prosthesis.

Priit and Dr. Englas then took us on a short tour of the center and highlighted their occupational therapy and gait lab capabilities.We finished the tour in the conference room and met with the rest of the medical staff which included physicians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, social workers and nurses. Dr. Ecklund gave a custom tailored brief that focused on highlighting the injuries and resulting symptoms they might see with blast related head injuries. Dr. Polo followed with his presentation on the medical symptoms and treatment recommendations for mild to severe TBI and post-traumatic stress disorder. Pam and David then discussed with the group what their specialties were and also ideas for improving assistance to families and veterans based on their understanding of the center's capabilities and focus. A healthy question and answer session and discussions for future cooperation ensued for about 45 minutes. We said our goodbyes and began the drive back to Tallinn.

It was a nice end to a long and productive day and week.

Major Christopher E. Mackin
Bilateral Affairs Officer/Deputy Chief
US Office of Defense Cooperation, Estonia

*This is the second in a series, the first can be seen here.*

While visiting Lithuania the Wounded Warrior team and the two physicians from Project Hope drove out to Vilnius University Emergency Hospital (VUEH) located 15 minutes west of the capital, Vilnius. The day’s mission was to deliver medical lectures about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to the staff at a local hospital there.

This Soviet-style hospital with 2000 beds was built in 1986 -- just 5 years before the collapse of the Soviet Union. There were sharp contrasts from this hospital versus the Kaunas Hospital we visited yesterday. It was clear there was less focus on the mindset of the patient and their families, unlike the Kaunas hospital with sunlight and warm pools for therapy. I believe Americans take for granted the way our hospitals in the states greet us as we walk in, either as a guest or a patient; perhaps it’s what we have learned about welcoming our patients and their families. VUEH felt cold. It was a colder atmosphere and the hallways were dark and sterile.

What the Vilnius University Emergency Hospital had going for it was the way the hospital was nestled into the tall pine forest on the outskirts of town. When we were on the 9th floor we were able to see the foothills of Vilnius and the city skyline. American architects and construction crews can learn a lot from the Europeans about leaving the natural trees and surroundings near the intended building.

Our first meeting was with Dr. Saulius Rocka, one of Vilnius’ neurosurgeons. He brought our team to the surgeons’ morning meetings. As introductions were made, the Director for the Surgery Department handed out long stem roses to the women in the audience as part of “International Women’s Day.” Pam McClelland from Department of Defense Family Support was a pleased recipient. This was a practice since the Soviet times and persisted through the years.

Our meeting with the surgeons described the previous night’s activities. Our physician team members were able to follow along due to the medical terms sounding very familiar with a Lithuanian ending. One of the morning cases involved a patient with Neurocysticercosis – a parasitic infection of the central nervous system that results from ingestion of eggs from the adult tapeworm, often from undercooked pork. This is very rare in the US, but still makes a great case in educating newer physicians.

Dr. Polo gives his presentation.

Dr. James Ecklund, a world-renowned neurosurgeon and Dr. James Polo, our psychology consultant, were both supported by Project HOPE and gave presentations describing lessons learned dealing with head wounds and the psychology of the patients. We were very pleased to have several members from the Lithuanian Military Medical Services, as well as the Ministry of Defense attend these lectures. The team felt there were plenty of new ideas and enthusiasm with the group of 3rd year medical students from the local area. These future physicians hold the torch for the care and well being of Lithuania.

At the end of the day, the US Embassy Public Affairs team asked us a very profound question: “I have many friends who served in Afghanistan in the 1980’s with the Soviets. They cannot sleep at night and are having trouble with drugs and alcohol. What is Lithuania doing with these patients?” The Baltics need to address this issue. These people are Lithuania’s, sons, brothers, uncles, fathers and grandfathers. These men did their job and now it’s time to help relieve the suffering. We had similar issues in the United States and we learned from our mistakes. We are hoping we can share these lessons with the Baltic countries. We view this as an excellent area for future cooperation.

The team is now prepared to address these issues in Latvia and Estonia.

So as the flower brings joy and shows a sign of new life, the hope for this team is to bring new life to a medical system needing support for their patients.

Stephen Timmons, Lt Col
Bilateral Affairs Officer
US Embassy Lithuania

Wounded Warrior, Veteran care, traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder. All are powerful terms capable of eliciting intense emotions from military service members and civilians alike. For the Baltic nations of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia supporting International Security Assistance Force - Afghanistan it is a term they are becoming more familiar with.

Baltic Bilateral Affairs Officers frequently work together on regional security cooperation issues and realized the overarching concept of veteran care is something the military leadership in the Baltics required assistance developing. Through the auspices of the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC), Project Hope and the EUCOM State Partnership Program (SPP) we set out to familiarize the Lithuanian Military Medical organization and their Ministry of Health with veteran care.

Dr. James Ecklund, Pam McClelland, Lt. Col. Paul Bostrom, Dr. James Polo, and David DuBois

The team members on this project are from diverse backgrounds and all converged on Vilnius, Lithuania, where the events began. David DuBois and Pam McClelland came from Washington, D.C., and represent the Department of Defense Wounded Warrior Program. Their specific specialties are Transition Assistance Programs and the Office of Family Support & Policy. Dr. James Ecklund and Dr. James Polo are both retired colonels from the US National Capital Region and are nationally renowned specialists in neurosurgery and psychiatry. Lt. Col. Paul Bostrom from the 3rd Air Force, Surgeon General Chief of International Healthy Division represents EUCOM. The Bilateral Affairs Officers, Lt. Col. Steve Timmons and Maj. Chris Mackin, round out the team representing the U.S. military in Lithuania and Estonia.

This was the first time most of the team members set foot in the Baltics and many among us were not sure what to expect.

Bright and early Monday morning we traveled from Vilnius to Kaunas to visit the Lithuanian Military Medical Service at the headquarters. The Lithuanian Military Medical leadership provided a detailed brief on their history and current capabilities. Established in 1918 after World War I, their current facilities were constructed in 1919, the facility and organization underwent renovations and improvements in 1927-1933 to become one of the best-equipped hospitals in all of Lithuania.

Their organization was re-established in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union and has underwent extensive modernization to become a highly professional and capable force able to support peacekeeping, combat and humanitarian assistance programs worldwide since 1995.

The Lithuanian military medical services are quite active in supporting coalition forces with more than 150 medics deployed to various operations since 1995. They have also deployed several physicians and nurses to Iraq and Afghanistan. The brief was very interesting and informative and I was surprised at how extensive their military medical capability is compared to other nations in the region.

The Lithuanians were quite interested in the programs DuBois and McClelland briefed and followed up with many questions.

After the briefs, our group traveled to the largest hospital that was built prior to World War II located in Kaunas, Lithuania. We met with the director of the hospital who proceeded to give a very in depth tour of the entire hospital. The most interesting aspect of the visit was learning that the military cooperation with this hospital is very close. All of the military medical physicians and most of the medial personnel were educated in this hospital and also work part time there. We saw that the patients have great water rehabilitation centers with a variety of heated pools and baths. The director was very eager to point out the number of American manufactures of equipment and supplies. We raced through the underground tunnels and toured the hospital in less than 60 minutes and I bet we walked more than two miles! It is a good thing the underground tunnels have a heated walkway, temperatures in the winter months can be very cold reaching -20 C (4F); that's not comfortable if all you have to wear is that paper hospital gown!

Afterwards, our team drove back to Vilnius in time to meet with the Ministry of Health to pave the road for future plans and cooperation. There’s another blog coming about that day’s visits too.

Major Christopher E. Mackin
Bilateral Affairs Officer/Deputy Chief
US Office of Defense Cooperation, Estonia

Note: This is the first in a series of blogs about the team's trip around the Baltic countries. Stay tuned for more!

What makes a Humanitarian Assistance (HA) project a success? There are many factors that impact the process; it is no longer just a triangular relationship between the project scope, available funding and allocated time.

You probably have heard it: “They [clients or the recipients of assistance] have to want the project more than you do!” You cannot impose your help on someone for their own good. Well, of course you can, but it will likely be a miserable experience both for you and for the one you are helping not to mention a waste of time and money.

During the past two years we have seen a positive change in the attitude in Latvia towards our Humanitarian Assistance projects. We have found that people tend to invest time, energy and resources to things they create and support; therefore we have learned to share the responsibility, as well as success of this program with our Latvian partners.

One example for this shift in the mindset is the renovation project at Liepaja Children and Youth Center. The Center was re-opened on Dec. 10, 2010 after extensive common access area renovation work.

To put it briefly – the center keeps local teenagers and children away from the dangers of the street by offering quality after-school activities, such as work in hobby groups and workshops to develop their skills and talents. Each day about 300 children (of whom 48% are ethnic Russians) participate in activities at the Center. Approximately 20% of the students come from socially disadvantaged families and 40% from poor families. The building used to be a Soviet Army barracks and is located in a region of the city traditionally called War Port.

Nominated by the local education department, this project stood out from the first day we met with the director of the Center and her staff. We saw dedication, determination and enthusiasm from the municipality education department, the center’s staff and even the children who attend the classes to make this renovation happen. What a difference this made! It resulted not only in a successful project with long-term impact, but also a pleasant experience for our office. We were delighted to work with a team that had set a goal and was determined to go beyond what is usually required.

Yes, they wanted it more than we did! As a result, we saved our time, our resources and avoided a great deal of frustration. More importantly - we partnered with the Latvian Government in its effort to provide a safe environment for children, rather than trying to tell the host nation how it should be done.

During her speech, the U.S. Ambassador to Latvia, Judith Garber, said, “Renovation projects like these are yet another example of the very strong U.S.- Latvian relationship. The close friendship between our two countries extends from membership in NATO and partnership in military operations abroad, to our commitment to vital community projects. I am proud that such a robust partnership contributes to the safety, security and welfare of people here in Latvia and in the wider region.”

Gunita Migliniece
HA Program Manager
Office of Defense Cooperation - Latvia

Over the years I developed an appreciation of the little things in life.

Lt. Col. Charles Davis, the ODC for Croatia, visits a one-day-old child in one of the donated incubators. (Courtesy photo)

Recently, the United States European Command, in collaboration with the Office of Defense Cooperation Zagreb, Croatia, and US Embassy Zagreb, Croatia, donated two neonatal incubators to the General Hospital in Knin, Croatia. On average, the hospital delivers more than 300 babies a year. Twenty percent of these require incubator support. Before the donation, the hospital had to use two older incubators that often malfunctioned; this placed Croatia’s most precious national assets (the newborns) in grave risk. These state-of-the-art incubators will ensure quality care and support to those little ones who are most vulnerable.

Knin was once the capital of the Kingdom of Croatia during the reign of King Zvonimir in the 11th century.  More recently, Knin was deeply affected by the wars of the 1990's, a period during which many of the Serb inhabitants left the area. The U.S. Embassy is encouraging the resettlement of returning refugees who see a hospital as a prime requirement if they are going to raise a family in Knin.  The city is also important as a transportation hub with railroads from the rest of Dalmatia and its cities of Zadar, Split and Šibenik passing through Knin, going north to the capital city of Croatia, Zagreb.

In addition to the two incubators, five shipping containers of medical supplies and office furniture were also donated to the hospital. The total value of the donation was around $500,000. Taken separately, these donations don’t add up to much, but their combined affect results in a change from a sparingly stocked medical facility to a well stocked one.

EUCOM, ODC, and Croatian military personnel joined with Knin city and hospital officials for the official ceremony presenting the Knin Hospital with the two new incubators for neonatal care and with other medical supplies. (Photo courtesy of the Public Affairs Office of the City of Knin)

This is not the first time this hospital received the attention of the U.S. military. In a separate effort during the summer of 2009, United States Air Forces Europe engineers, working in close cooperation with the Croatian military engineers of the Guards Motorized Brigade headquartered in Knin, refurbished a large portions of the hospital’s children's wing, painted the interior while cleaning up the exterior, replaced radiators throughout the hospital with a more hygienic, efficient model, and repaired the ventilation system. The hospital’s proximity to the Guards Motorized Brigade’s nearby Crvena Zemlja training area (Red Land), which is used by U.S. forces during exercises, provided an additional reason for the U.S. military to invest in the facility.

So many important things in life are decided by the little things. As a parent myself, I don’t know how I would even be able to put a price on the health and well being of my own little ones that bring my life so much joy and meaning. I think I can understand the gratitude and excitement of the Knin community generated by this donation as well as the wisdom of the Department of Defense to sustain its relationship with this community.

MAJ C.L. Durk
J-4 Medical Readiness Division
U.S. European Command

EUCOM recently renovated a three story school in the northern mountain village of Kalivac, Albania. The school director, Ms.Ditra Gjoni, was so overwhelmed with joy to cut the ribbon on the $590K renovation, a woman fluent in English and Albanian was left speechless. She attended the school as a girl and has been teaching there for the past 17 years. To see the newly painted exterior, 33 refurbished classrooms, new water well and sewage system left her feeling the words, “Thank you”, were just inadequate but she could find no others.

For the past few years, the American Embassy in Tirana Office of Defense Cooperation has focused on Humanitarian Assistance projects in some of the more remote villages. These projects build partner capacity by helping Albania provide essential services. Kalivac is located in a northern prefecture where 30% of the schools have no access to clean water, indoor plumbing and have broken doors and windows without any means to repair them. The Kalivac School serves a population of 12,000 from three different districts. Previously the school served 250 children, but now many more children are expected to attend this local school because of the vastly improved learning environment. The repairs are valued at over $500,000 and were completed in just over a year by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

I joined Major Kevin Bosch and Mr. Artian Dautaj from the Office of Defense Cooperation as well as Mr. Paul Poletes, the Acting Deputy Chief of Mission for the U.S. Embassy in Albania for the Kalivac School ribbon cutting. What Ms Gjoni struggled to express was evident everywhere on the faces of the children and parents as they combed through their new school for the first time and realized they had new windows, doors and working bathrooms for the first time in many years.

In the future we expect to do more regional projects for Albania and the Balkans by investing in Disaster Preparedness and Telemedicine, but I’m sure the occasional school renovations will remain on our schedule. There really is no better grass roots opportunity for us to reach out and impact the next generation.

For me, it is always an honor to represent EUCOM at events designed to further U.S. priorities such as helping our partner provide sustainable education. However, when you consider Albania’s contribution to ISAF, recent end to conscription and many other great strides in becoming a valued NATO partner, this school renovation becomes our expression of “thank you”.

Lt. Col. Amy McCall
Civic Engagement Branch
ECJ4, Logistics Directorate

It was a cold and snowy day at Powidz Air Base, but the spirits of all those who turned out to welcome the arrival of the mighty Hercules to Poland were high. With the dense cloud cover, we could hear the engines of the C-130 and its 2-ship F-16 escort before we could see them, but all looked skyward as the Herc flew over the assembled crowd.

The first Polish C-130E Hercules arrived at Powidz Air Base on 24 March 2009. In my role in the Office of Defense Cooperation at the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, I serve as the in-country program coordinator; linking the many people in the U.S. who make this program a reality with their Polish counterparts.  (more)