Ak Shumkar II concludes in Kyrgyz Republic, strengthens 30-year Montana partnership
BISHKEK, Kyrgyz Republic — U.S. Air Forces Central and the Montana Army and Air National Guard concluded exercise Ak Shumkar II alongside Kyrgyz military and civilian partners following several days of combined training focused on disaster response, emergency medicine, fire and rescue operations, and urban search and rescue.
The U.S. Central Command exercise brought together U.S. and Kyrgyz professionals for subject matter expert exchanges and hands-on training designed to strengthen interoperability, improve emergency response capabilities and deepen professional relationships between the two countries.
The exercise also marked the 30th anniversary of the partnership between Montana and the Kyrgyz Republic through the Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program.
“Ak Shumkar II is designed to build our interoperability to heed the call when disaster strikes,” said Brig. Gen. Trent Gibson, adjutant general of Montana, during the exercise’s opening ceremony. “Throughout the week we will build capability, learn from each other, train hard and forge enduring friendships.”
Training began with U.S. and Kyrgyz personnel establishing common procedures and sharing professional experience across three primary areas: fire and emergency services, urban search and rescue, and medical response.
Fire and emergency services personnel trained on vehicle stabilization and extrication techniques while integrating U.S. and Kyrgyz crews. Urban search and rescue teams practiced patient packaging, spinal immobilization, rope rescue systems, structural entry and heavy debris removal.
Medical personnel conducted bilateral training in hemorrhage control, trauma assessment, mass-casualty triage, patient movement, field hospital operations and other emergency medical procedures.
As the exercise progressed, participants moved from individual skills to increasingly complex scenarios requiring personnel from multiple specialties to work together.
Joint teams practiced structural entry, debris clearance, patient extraction and movement while medical personnel established and operated a field hospital capable of receiving and treating patients during the exercise.
Medical teams also conducted a friendly skills competition with Kyrgyz participants, testing rapid triage, trauma assessment, patient packaging and tactical patient movement.
The exercise culminated with multiple full-scale rehearsals integrating fire, urban search and rescue, and medical personnel into a synchronized response. The rehearsals allowed participants to refine response times, communications and coordination before demonstrating their combined capabilities during the exercise’s culminating event.
For Montana National Guard Soldiers and Airmen, the exercise provided an opportunity to share expertise while representing Montana and the United States abroad.
“Being able to represent the state of Montana through the subject matter expert exchanges we're doing for Ak Shumkar is important for our Soldiers and Airmen,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Keith DeBoo, senior enlisted leader of the Montana National Guard. “They're representing the state of Montana, they're representing the United States of America, and they're representing the Montana way in the Kyrgyz Republic.”
DeBoo said the teamwork developed during the exercise reflects the relationship Montana and the Kyrgyz Republic have built during three decades of cooperation.
“It continues to deepen the relationship that we've had over 30 years,” DeBoo said. “It takes the Soldiers, the Airmen and the people of the Kyrgyz Republic to come together as a team, regardless of differences and language barriers. We power through that, and we get the job done.”
Montana and the Kyrgyz Republic share many geographic and environmental challenges, including wildfires, flooding, earthquakes and landslides. Those common challenges have made disaster preparedness and emergency response enduring areas of cooperation within the partnership.
Since establishing their State Partnership Program relationship in 1996, Montana and the Kyrgyz Republic have expanded cooperation beyond military engagements through government, academic and cultural exchanges. Gibson highlighted those connections during the opening ceremony.
“This relationship is unique,” Gibson said. “There are cultural bonds between the Kyrgyz Republic and Montana spanning thousands of years, linked by proud nomadic traditions.”
Ak Shumkar II added another chapter to that relationship by moving from professional exchanges into practical, integrated training designed around challenges both partners may face at home.
The exercise concluded with U.S. and Kyrgyz personnel operating as combined teams, applying skills developed throughout the training and reinforcing the relationships that have sustained the Montana-Kyrgyz partnership for 30 years.
As the partnership enters its fourth decade, the experience gained during Ak Shumkar II provides a foundation for future exchanges and continued cooperation between Montana and the Kyrgyz Republic.
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