PALANQUERO AIR BASE, Colombia — Backed by a 13-year alliance through the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program, South Carolina National Guard Airmen and Soldiers joined forces with Colombian medical personnel to strengthen critical battlefield response skills through Tactical Combat Casualty Care, or TCCC, and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear, or CBRN, training during exercise Relámpago de los Andes 2025 — a multinational exercise focused on enhancing interoperability and partnership.
This year’s focus on TCCC and CBRN response underscored the shared commitment to saving lives on the battlefield. Together, these efforts enhance combined readiness and build lasting trust between allied forces in the region.
Kicking off the medical training, Senior Airman Angelica Gonzalez and Chief Master Sgt. Jamie Powell of the South Carolina Air National Guard’s Civil Engineer Squadron led an engaging knowledge exchange with 19 Colombian Aerospace Force medics. The hands-on instruction honed response and recovery skills for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents — a critical focus after a recent real-world event in which 12 Colombian service members were accidentally exposed to organophosphate fertilizer.
Master Sgt. Krystal Patterson and Senior Airman Carolina Castrejon-Escobar, bioenvironmental engineers with the South Carolina Air National Guard, demonstrated Mission Oriented Protective Posture procedures, walked participants through decontamination steps and facilitated hands-on training with protective equipment. Gonzalez taught the entire course in Spanish to ensure clarity and connection across languages.
“This type of engagement is about more than procedures—it’s about building trust and ensuring that our partners are prepared to protect themselves and others,” Powell said.
Later in the exercise, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Hunter Vaught, combat medic program manager for the South Carolina Army National Guard, led a TCCC training session with Colombian Aerospace Force medics and instructors from their aeromedical evacuation unit.
Participants trained on tactical field care, airway management and trauma response techniques, including needle chest decompression and nasopharyngeal airway placement. The sessions provided Colombian instructors with a new perspective on combat care methods and introduced advanced equipment to enhance their capabilities.
“Our Colombian counterparts are already experts in their field,” Vaught said. “This training sharpens their skills and allows them to expand that knowledge even further as instructors.”
Vaught highlighted that this was the first time he had worked directly with Colombian instructors, calling it a strategic opportunity to deepen professional ties and open the door for future collaboration.
Relámpago de los Andes is a Colombian-led exercise designed to strengthen the enduring defense partnership between the United States and Colombia, now in its 13th year under the State Partnership Program. The collaboration between the South Carolina National Guard and the Colombian military continues to evolve through joint flying operations, maintenance exchanges, integrated medical training and support missions.