Dr. Stephan Yacoubian received a recognition medal for his partnership from Colonel Yamamoto, head of the Japanese Military Hospital in Okinawa, Japan.
Burbank — US Navy Commander Stephan Yacoubian, MD. Recognized by Japan Defense Forces During Joint Military Exercises
Dr. Stephan Yacoubian of Glendale, California, an orthopaedic surgeon and a Commander in the US Navy, received a medal of recognition after partaking in Operation “Keen Sword” this October at Camp Foster, a US Marine Base in Okinawa, Japan.
This military expedition was part of a combined exercise between the US Navy and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force to improve combined medical response readiness in the event of a war. The mission included transporting “wounded” from the sea onto the shore
via helicopter as part of mass causality scenarios. The medical team also included observers from the German Army who plan on actively participating in these exercises in the future.
Operation Keen Sword is a biennial exercise that began in 1986 to increase combat readiness and improve the working relationship between U.S. and Japanese forces. This year’s training was expected to draw 12,000 U.S. and 33,000 Japanese troops, 40 vessels and 370 aircraft.
Sixty-five Navy sailors took part in the drill, including doctors and nurses with the San Diego-based Expeditionary Medical Facility, along with sailors from Twentynine Palms, Calif.; Lemoore, Calif.; and Bremerton, Wash.; and reservists from across the United States.
Dr. Stephan Yacoubian is an orthopaedic surgeon in Burbank, CA and is on staff at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center.
