MEDICAL READINESS TRAINING EXERCISE IN EL-SALVADOR, CENTRAL-AMERICA, 1996

Medical Readiness Training Exercises (MEDRETEs) can be a valuable trai ning tool for U.S. Army personnel in remote areas of deployment. We re port our experience of the MEDRETE in El Salvador in 1996. Working wit h foreign physicians of the host country was a positive experience in which we learned local customs and mutual cooperation. Evaluation and treatment of nearly 6,000 patients increased goodwill in the community and provided an opportunity for teamwork for Army Reserve medical uni ts, including increased discussions of public health issues, We also r eport on the field applicability of the advanced laboratory and pharma cy equipment we included in our training.