The United States donates de-mining and medical equipment to the Moldovan Army Engineer Battalion “Codru” in Straseni as part of the United States’ overall effort to improve the capacity of the Moldova military. Additionally, a team of American military personnel from the North Carolina National Guard are in Moldova to train Moldovan military engineers and medical personnel in their ability to respond to unexploded ordnance incidents, and to also provide first-aid medical assistance to victims of unexploded ordnance, IPN reports.
According to a communiqué of the U.S. Embassy in Moldova, this latest effort is part of a long-term project, launched in November 2013, when members of the North Carolina National Guard professionals visited Moldova to train the Moldovan military on the modern demining and medical procedures.
The U.S. European Command Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) Program provided all necessary supplies, equipment and funding for this project. The HMA Program is intended to assist countries in developing an indigenous HMA infrastructure capable of eliminating landmine hazards, returning the land to economic use, and assisting landmine victims.
In Moldova the EUCOM HMA Program will be implemented in two areas: Mine Victims Assistance (MVA) and Technical Demining /UXO clearance operations. The MVA training activities are focused on training in emergency/first responder medical assistance for minefield accidents/incidents, general field first aid, and basic/advanced trauma life support training, and evacuation.
