Ashraf AboArafe
The Eastern Region Command in Dhahran carried out the joint Saudi-American exercise “Prevention Shield 4” maneuvers, with the participation of branches of the Saudi Armed Forces, the US Central Command, and a number of civilian and military government agencies represented by the health services of the Ministry of Defense, the General Directorate of Civil Defense, the Ministry of Health, and the Authority. Saudi Red Crescent.
The commander of the mixed battalion participating in the exercise, Colonel Turki bin Salem Al-Sumairi, confirmed that the joint “Prevention Shield 4” exercise aims to enhance the participants’ capabilities to confront the threats of weapons of mass destruction, unify the necessary concepts, procedures and skills among the Saudi armed forces, participating government agencies and the friendly American side, and increase awareness of the risks. Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear.
He added that the participating units carried out field exercises to test the readiness of the response of national plans in the field of weapons of mass destruction, measure the effectiveness of the exchange of reports and information during the implementation of the exercise, and joint coordination of field response work among the participating parties.
The exercise witnessed the use of simulated munitions to implement crisis management operations resulting from the use of weapons of mass destruction. While the health services of the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Health, the General Directorate of Civil Defense, and the Saudi Red Crescent Authority carried out an exercise to enhance joint interoperability and confront chemical and bacterial incidents. 
