Four Soldiers from the 557th Area Support Medical Company, 421st Multifunctional Medical Battalion, from Baumholder, Germany traveled to the Croatian Army Medical Training Center, in Pozega, Croatia in June 2012 to build relationships for future collaborative training.

Croatian Army Msgt. Ivan Limov (Left) and Sgt. Stipo Sikiric are familiarizing themselves with the Army’s latest Combat Life Saver Cervical Collar with members of the 557th Area Support Medical Company, in Croatia, June 20. This training was part of Immediate Response 2012, a multinational training exercise of over 700 personnel from seven countries.

Demonstrating how to use the Skedco Litter is Sgt. 1st Class Boris Ledencan, Croatian Army (left) and Sgt. Kevin Perry 557th Area Support Medical Company, 421st Multifunctional Medical Battalion (right), in Croatia, June 20. This training was part of Immediate Response 2012, a multinational training exercise of over 700 personnel from seven countries.

More than 700 Croatian, U.S. and multinational forces from six other countries concluded two weeks of intensive training at a closing ceremony here June 9.

U.S. Army Europe's 2nd Cavalry Regiment Lt. Col. Kendric Robbins salutes a Croatian Army soldier as he commends him for his outstanding performances to soldiers from eight different NATO partner nations during the closing ceremonies of the Immediate Response 2012 training event held in Slunj, Croatia, June 9.

Heavily forested terrain, steep hills and hot weather haven’t slowed down Soldiers with U.S. Army Europe’s 2nd Cavalry Regiment and their multinational partners during the Situational Training Exercise phase of Immediate Response 2012 here for the past few days.

Pvt. Jacob Pharr, a radio operator with U.S. Army Europe’s 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, coordinates a mission update with his Bosnian-Herzegovinian partner while conducting an ambush Situational Training Exercise during Immediate Response 2012 held at the Slunj Training Area 31 May. Immediate Response 2012 is a multinational tactical field training exercise that will involve more than 700 personnel primarily from the U.S. Army Europe’s 2nd Calvary Regiment and Croatian armed forces, with contingents from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Slovenia. Macedonia and Serbia will send observers to the exercise. The exercise is a part of U.S. European Command's joint training and exercise program designed to enhance joint and combined interoperability between the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force and partner nations, and will help prepare participants to operate successfully in a joint, multinational, interagency, integrated environment.

Instructors from the U.S. Defense Institute for Medical Operations are exchanging ideas and techniques with medical practitioners from the different countries participating in Shared Resilience 2012 May 28 - June 8 here.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Phillip Hines, U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, demonstrates how to splint an arm with a structural aluminum malleable splint during the Critical Lifesaving Skills for First Responders course here May 29, 2012. During the course, instructors from the Defense Institute for Medical Operations worked with other countries' medical practitioners attending Shared Resilience 2012 to exchange medical ideas and techniques. More than 500 military members from nine nations are participating in the annual U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff-sponsored exercise May 28 - June 8. The goals of the exercise are to strengthen interoperability, facilitate training in crisis response and disaster management, and validate the readiness of deployable military medical and humanitarian assistance teams. The exercise, in the spirit of partnership for peace, directly supports U.S. European Command's theater cooperation efforts and strategy for active security with European countries.

U.S. Army soldiers from the 196th Medical Support Unit, along with soldiers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, annotate their observances and speak with staff members while visiting Dom Zdravlja Hospital in Capljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina May 29, 2012. Service members from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the U.S., and several other countries are taking part in Shared Resilience 2012, a two-week U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff sponsored medical exercise.

U.S. Army Europe’s PFC Christopher Finch of 1st Squadron, 2nd Calvary Regiment out of Vilseck, Germany from Houston, TX installs a communication system with the assistance of CPL Darijo Solic in Signal Company, Guards Motorized Brigade, of the Croatian Land Forces on a air defense artillery range to be used during the Immediate Response 2012 (IR12) training event held in Slunj, Croatia, on Sunday, May 27, 2012. IR12 is a multinational tactical field training exercise that will involve more than 700 personnel primarily from the U.S. Army Europe’s 2nd Calvary Regiment and Croatian armed forces, with contingents from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Slovenia. Macedonia and Serbia will send observers to the exercise.

Immediate Response 12 (IR12), the multinational military exercise between U.S. Army Europe, U.S. Air Force, the Croatian Land Forces and partner militaries from six other Balkan nations, started today with an opening ceremony in Slunj, Croatia.

Soldiers from eight partnering NATO nations present their flags as Major General Dragutin Repinc, Commander of the Croatian Land Forces, speaks to a multi-national armed forces formation which begins day one of the Immediate Response 2012 training event held in Slunj, Croatia, on Saturday, May 26, 2012. Immediate Response 2012 is a multinational tactical field training exercise that will involve more than 700 personnel primarily from the U.S. Army Europe's 2nd Calvary Regiment and Croatian armed forces, with contingents from Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Montenegro. Slovenia, Macedonia and Serbia will send observers to the exercise. The exercise is a part of USEUCOM's joint training and exercise program designed to enhance joint and combined interoperability between the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, Croatian Armed Forces and partner nations, and will help prepare participants to operate successfully in a joint, multinational, interagency, integrated environment.

Members of the Croatian Army train members of the Montenegrin Army on how to properly use the VHS assault rifle during the Immediate Response training event held in Slunj, Croatia on Friday, May 25, 2012. Immediate Response 2012 is a multinational tactical field training exercise that will involve more than 700 personnel primarily from the U.S. Army Europe’s 2nd Calvary Regiment and Croatian armed forces, with contingents from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Slovenia. Macedonia and Serbia will send observers to the exercise. The exercise is a part of USEUCOM's joint training and exercise program designed to enhance joint and combined interoperability between the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, Croatian Armed Forces and partner nations, and will help prepare participants to operate successfully in a joint, multinational, interagency, integrated environment.