Press release
September 27, 2021
For immediate release

U.S., Mongolia Successfully Conduct Khangai-21 Disaster Response Exercise

Arkhangai Province, Mongolia — From September 14-23, the U.S. Embassy Civil-Military Support Element partnered with the Mongolian National Emergency Management Agency to host the Disaster Response Exercise Khangai-21 in Arkhangai Province. Working with local emergency management agencies in Arkhangai, Bayankhongor, Bulgan, Khuvsgul, Uvurkhangai, and Zavkhan, U.S. Air Force medical and rescue personnel conducted confined space and rescue training exercises at high angle, as well as support training in emergency medicine, crisis communications and emergency management. In addition to the more than 180 Mongolian participants, defense attachés from Japan, the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Turkey were present as observers.

Due to the risk and frequency of seismic activity in Mongolia, special attention has been given to earthquake response to help Mongolian relief personnel better prepare to provide assistance and relief to the Mongolian people in disaster. The training consisted of extensive classroom and field training on how to safely extract and evacuate disaster victims from confined spaces and high angle environments. At the same time, medical staff received training on how to triage and treat patients in emergencies. In addition, emergency operations center managers received classroom training on the effective management and recruitment of medical and rescue personnel; how to communicate effectively with the public during a crisis; and ways to work with international non-governmental organizations to provide humanitarian assistance. At the end of the training, participants successfully engaged in a full-scale exercise simulating an actual natural disaster.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the United States and Mongolia have been forced to cancel the multinational disaster-response exercise Gobi Wolf held annually in Mongolia. The Khangai-21 exercise allowed U.S. and Mongolian rescue personnel to cement their productive partnership in the interim. Lessons learned from Khangai-21 will inform planning for the much larger Gobi Wolf exercise slated to resume in 2022. Khangai-21 further cemented the strong ties between the United States and Mongolia while making great strides in the preparation of Mongolian rescuers to protect and help the people. of Mongolia in the event of a natural disaster.

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By the United States Embassy in Ulaanbaatar | September 27, 2021 | Topics: Events, Gobi Wolf, News, Press Releases, United States and Mongolia