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LAE, Papua New Guinea — A team of about 15 Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers and Airmen, joined by Wisconsin Emergency Management staff, worked with personnel from other government agencies and nongovernment organizations to train Papua New Guinea Defence Force members and local civilian volunteers in humanitarian aid and disaster response in Lae from Aug. 11-14, 2026.
The engagement builds on a State Partnership Program relationship between Wisconsin and Papua New Guinea established in 2020, which has broadened through exchanges in disaster response, engineering, medical readiness, leadership development and regional security across the Indo-Pacific. The field training exercise was sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance and included support from the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Army Pacific Command Soldiers.
“These last four days have been about understanding the capabilities, being able to work together, being able to have that friendship and really build the trust between the military and civilian community,” said James Kenwolf, Training and Engagements branch chief at the CFE-DM. “When we do respond, we now know the faces, and we have that empathy within the community,” said Kenwolf. “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.”
Participants also included 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 alongside the PNGDF.
Wisconsin service members trained approximately 90 civilians and soldiers on post-disaster priorities such as search and evacuation, first aid and medical treatment, and site security. The four-day event combined classroom instruction, hands-on modules and a culminating exercise to demonstrate the week’s learning.
Three Wisconsin National Guard medical personnel led basic first aid and treatment blocks. U.S. Army Maj. Heather Herbst, commander of the Wisconsin National Guard’s 135th Medical Company, oversaw instruction covering CPR for adults, children and infants; choking hazards; and “M.A.R.C.H.,” which includes 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,” said Herbst. “Giving the PNGDF and local volunteers basic medical skills gives them the ability to provide lifesaving care until additional help arrives.”
Engineers from the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 229th Engineer Vertical Construction Company taught knots used for evacuation procedures, employing mechanical advantage with pulley systems and fulcrums to remove debris, and shoring techniques to stabilize walls and structures. After classroom knot-tying, participants applied those skills to build hauling systems and practice personnel rescue methods.
A site security team trained PNGDF military police and local volunteers on crowd-control measures that can be necessary to protect resupply areas after a disaster, including movements, techniques and formations, as well as extracting injured crowd members.
The IOM provided training on camp coordination for displaced people, and a group tabletop exercise walked through the sequence of actions for assisting agencies when a disaster strikes.
Given its location, Papua New Guinea faces frequent natural hazards including earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. Kenwolf emphasized the value of local involvement in preparedness. “When a disaster strikes, it’s the community that responds first,” said Kenwolf.
Herbst underscored how community readiness can bolster resilience. “Disasters can overwhelm resources quickly,” said Herbst. “What stood out to me was the importance of being able to work with what you have. It builds confidence, preparedness and a more resilient community.”
