Gobi Wolf 2024 strengthens partnerships for disaster resilience

Gobi Wolf 2024 strengthens partnerships for disaster resilience

May 17, 2024

By Capt. Balinda O’Neal, 134th Public Affairs Detachment

CHOIBALSAN, Mongolia — Exercise Gobi Wolf 2024 culminated with a resounding success at a closing ceremony in Choibalsan, Mongolia, on May 10, marking another important step in disaster preparedness and global cooperation.

This year’s exercise, co-hosted by the Mongolian National Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army Pacific, exemplified the spirit of partnership and shared commitment to strengthening resilience to disasters worldwide.

Tech. emphasizes this aspect. Sergeant Frankie Bolaños, a firefighter in the Pacific Air Forces, said the most satisfying aspect of his job is the opportunity to travel to other countries, meet fellow professionals, exchange skills and learn from different cultures.

“It’s the satisfaction of just being able to share with people who have the same goal in mind,” said Bolaños, who completed his second Gobi Wolf and third Disaster Response Exercise and Exchange. “Once you break that cultural barrier, the humor is the same, the skills are the same, and in terms of the nature of the business, everyone just wants to help people.”

Bolaños said he was able to apply his skills and experiences gained during Gobi Wolf 2022 to the 2024 exercise. During the planning phase, he provided feedback, which allowed the planning team to anticipate challenges and ensure smoother operations. Furthermore, NEMA’s enhancement of their capabilities helped improve the exercise.

“We set out to translate this year’s Gobi Wolf content, using our own staff, and I see it has been a success in that regard,” said Brig. General B. Uuganbayar, Deputy Director of the Mongolian NEMA, who also complimented the overall success of the four-day exercise. “Gobi Wolf is an important initiative that expands the capabilities of our workforce, increases our safety from disasters and builds on our partnerships and alliances.”

This year’s exercise included a wide range of training, including an expert academic discussion, a table-top exercise and a field training, exploring various facets of disaster management. Topics ranged from earthquake response and firefighting to hazmat management, field hospitals and rapid water rescue.

In addition, Uuganbayar said academic discussions provided insights into Mongolia’s disaster protection system, emergency operations protocols, incident command structures and the coordination of international humanitarian aid efforts.

The exercise attracted participation from 12 countries including Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, France, India, Republic of Korea, Maldives, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. The collective expertise of more than 350 participants from government agencies, ministries, disaster protection agencies, military, law enforcement agencies and international humanitarian organizations underlined the global significance of the exercise.

Bolaños noted that although the participants initially showed some shyness, it quickly disappeared as the exercise gained momentum. The atmosphere changed as the sounds of quiet conversations turned into a wail of sirens and voices exchanging crucial information, all in coordinated chaos, culminating in shared laughter and camaraderie.

As Exercise Gobi Wolf 2024 concluded, participants left with enriched knowledge, strengthened partnerships and a renewed commitment to protecting communities from the ever-present threat of natural disasters.
PHOTOS

1. DVDS links include the story and selected photos in full resolution, video a-roll and b-roll.
   https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/GobiWolf
2. Flickr link contains selected photos in full resolution.
   https://www.flickr.com/photos/196458785@N04/
3. Facebook link to the US Army Pacific Resilience page. https://www.facebook.com/PacificResilience/

By US Embassy Ulaanbaatar | May 20, 2024 | Topics: Gobi Wolf, News, Press Releases