LAE, September 18 — Papua New Guinea Defence Force service members and local civilian volunteers have completed a four-day humanitarian aid and disaster response training exercise with the Wisconsin National Guard, held in Lae from August 11 to 14. The exercise brought together roughly a dozen and a half Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers, Airmen and Wisconsin Emergency Management employees, along with personnel from other government agencies and nongovernment organizations.
The Wisconsin National Guard is partnered with Papua New Guinea through the National Guard’s State Partnership Program, and since the official partnership between the two countries in 2020, the two forces have expanded cooperation through military exchanges focused on disaster response, engineering, medical readiness, leadership development, and regional security throughout the Indo-Pacific. The training was sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, or CFE-DM.
Service members with the U.S. Coast Guard and Soldiers from the U.S. Army Pacific Command assisted with the instruction. James Kenwolf, Training and Engagements branch chief at the CFE-DM, said the four days were about understanding capabilities and building trust between the military and civilian community. “When we do respond, we now know the faces, and we have that empathy within the community,” Kenwolf said.
“We’re able to collaborate to do the best we can for a response in that community or any crisis that occurs in Papua New Guinea.” Volunteers with the Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society and employees with the U.S. Embassy to Papua New Guinea, the International Organization for Migration – United Nations, and other humanitarian organizations took part alongside the PNGDF. Wisconsin service members trained approximately 90 civilians and PNGDF soldiers on priorities following a natural disaster, including search and evacuation, first aid and medical treatment, and site security.
The four-day exercise combined classroom instruction, hands-on training and a culminating exercise to demonstrate the skills students learned through the week. Three Wisconsin National Guard medical personnel conducted training on basic first aid and medical treatment, led by U.S. Army Maj. Heather Herbst, commander of the Wisconsin National Guard’s 135th Medical Company. The medical instruction covered CPR for adults, children and infants, followed by choking hazards and “M.A.R.C.H.,” which includes training on massive hemorrhaging, airway restriction, respiration, circulation, and treating for hypothermia and shock.
“In a disaster, medical professionals may not be the first people on scene,” Herbst said. “Giving the PNGDF and local volunteers basic medical skills gives them the ability to provide lifesaving care until additional help arrives.” A team of engineers with the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 229th Engineer Vertical Construction Company trained their students on knots used for evacuation procedures, using a mechanical advantage via pulley systems. The training was reported by Class Amanda Stock on September 16, 2026.
What to watch next
Whether the skills practiced in Lae carry into future PNGDF and civilian responses will depend on how the partnership’s exchanges continue under the State Partnership Program, which has linked Wisconsin and Papua New Guinea since 2020.
