Michael Alpern serves in the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
The recent Thailand cave rescue shined a light on the incredibly complex, dangerous and difficult work undertaken by authorities trying to undertake an evacuation mission. One critical piece of this puzzle — the efforts of the Royal Thai Police — showcased a side of law enforcement work which may often escape public notice: medical evacuation from dangerous situations. We in the State Department’s drugs and crime bureau, INL, were beyond pleased that the Royal Thai Police unit which played a key role in the Thailand rescue has regularly undergone U.S.-led training on medical evacuation skills and tactics at an INL-run academy in Bangkok.