Members of the National Guard Bureau and the Nebraska National Guard recently toured the UNMC campus.
Col. Tom Leeper with the National Guard Bureau, the federal agency responsible for the administration of the National Guard, was joined by Maj. Gen. Craig Strong, adjutant general of the Nebraska Military Department, Regent Robert Schafer and several others for a schedule that included tours of iEXCEL and the Global Center for Health Security, both headquartered in the Davis Global Center.
Maj. Gen. Strong said the visit was a way to highlight and demonstrate the capabilities at UNMC to members of the National Guard Bureau.
“You can’t fully comprehend it until you get boots on the ground,” he said. “It’s a national treasure.”
Col. Leeper said the visit was a “fantastic opportunity.”
“We’re so happy to see the resources here,” he said. “As protectors of the homeland, we’re excited to see where we can fit in.”
The visiting group got an overview on emergency medicine simulation training before watching a presentation in the holographic theater. Later, they toured the federal Training, Simulation and Quarantine Center and the Negatively Pressurized Conex.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to host members from the National Guard Bureau Office of the Joint Surgeon to increase awareness of our mission at C-STARS Omaha and vital partnership with our UNMC, Nebraska Medicine and Nebraska National Guard colleagues,” said Lt. Col. Elizabeth Schnaubelt, MD, director of C-STARS Omaha. “We are eager to explore training collaboration with the National Guard to advance military medical readiness.”
Visits from military partners are important, said Chris Kratochvil, MD, vice chancellor of external relations at UNMC. “It’s great to host our collaborators to showcase the work that has been done as well as explore how we can build on our existing partnerships.”