Ghana Medics Win 3rd Place at NATO Medical Competition

When Sergeant Cornelius Adagbe and Leading Seaman Ato Amonoo-Rockson stepped onto the competition grounds in Vicenza, Italy this January, they carried the hopes of Ghana's entire armed forces. Two weeks later, they walked away with bronze medals and proof that African military medics can compete with the world's best.

The pair scored an impressive 2,789 out of 3,000 points at the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force Best Medic Competition, outperforming teams from Italy and Liberia. Twenty-four medical personnel from four nations spent two intense days facing simulated combat conditions that tested both their physical endurance and life-saving skills.

Amonoo-Rockson dominated the fitness test with the second-highest score of 454 out of 500 possible points. Adagbe finished second in the grueling unknown-distance foot march, proving Ghanaian forces train as hard as any NATO counterpart.

But this competition was about more than medals. The event included crucial training sessions on chemical and biological threats, trauma care, and prolonged casualty management. Skills practiced here translate directly to saving lives during real crises and humanitarian missions.

Ghana fielded a joint team representing army, navy, and air force personnel for the second consecutive year. This marks a significant investment in building interoperable medical capabilities with American and European partners.

The Ripple Effect

Ghana's strong performance strengthens a partnership that extends far beyond competition scores. Just weeks before the event, a U.S. military aircraft transported Ghanaian forces to Jamaica to deliver humanitarian assistance, demonstrating how these relationships create real-world impact.

"They are not just training for a competition; they are solidifying a partnership that saves lives," said Rolf Olson, the top U.S. diplomat in Ghana. The training ensures that when disaster strikes anywhere in West Africa, Ghanaian medics can work seamlessly alongside international response teams.

Both Ghanaian medics also earned individual recognition in advanced categories. Amonoo-Rockson excelled in delayed evacuation casualty management, while both teammates placed in K-9 casualty care, learning to treat injured military working dogs under battlefield conditions.

The multinational environment created exactly what organizers hoped for: a space where medics from different countries could push each other to higher standards. When a Ghanaian sailor trains alongside Italian army medics and American paratroopers, everyone learns new techniques and builds the trust needed for future joint operations.

Ghana's armed forces now return home with validated skills, international recognition, and strengthened bonds with partner nations. The bronze medals represent something bigger: proof that investing in professional military medical training creates forces ready to save lives anywhere in the world.