By Lori Baker, Communications Volunteer

While visiting their son in Japan, Tami and Paul Smith did much more than enjoy the cuisine and visit popular sites.

They portrayed civilians with severe injuries in a joint U.S.-Japan mass disaster emergency response drill with the American Red Cross, Japanese Red Cross, U.S. military, Japanese military, emergency medical personnel, firefighters and police.

Their son, Paul Smith Jr., is the Red Cross Services to the Armed Forces/ International Services Regional Manager in Okinawa, Japan. He joined the Red Cross in 2021 in a similar position for Central and Northern Arizona in the Phoenix office and later in Germany.

Paul Jr.’s Red Cross staff and volunteers — including his parents — helped organize the Red Cross aspects of the disaster drill and response in February.

Tami and Paul are both Red Cross volunteers based in Phoenix. Tami has been a Service to the Armed Forces volunteer for about four years, and Paul Sr. has been a Disaster Cycle Services volunteer for more than five years.

This was their first time in Japan and their first time participating in a mass disaster emergency response drill.

The training exercise involving about 180 people was a disaster simulation of a military aircraft engulfed in flames after crashing into a nearby beach, injuring the crew and civilians. The drill’s purpose was to confirm procedures for coordinating responses established after the 2004 U.S. military helicopter crash at Okinawa International University. These drills have been held regularly with the U.S. military over the past several years.

“It was quite a spectacular event. Paul Sr. and I were actors with severe injuries. We were thrilled to be part of this disaster simulation. It was incredible to see our son Paul Jr. and the entire Red Cross organization work together at this important simulation exercise,” Tami said.

Several Japanese news agencies covered the event, including footage and a photo of Tami being carried on a stretcher.

Paul Sr. and Tami both enjoy volunteering for the Red Cross.

“After retiring from a 21-year law enforcement career, I wanted to continue to serve our community across the USA (and world), to help people,” Paul Sr. said.

He has deployed several times throughout the United States for floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and wildfires. Each deployment was two weeks but he was deployed for six weeks in Maui for the 2023 Lahaina Fires.  He helps with Red Cross logistics, facilities, sourcing, warehouse, disaster assessments and driving an emergency response vehicle.

Tami began volunteering at the Red Cross Phoenix Military Entrance Processing Station at her son’s request.

“After retiring from corporate America, I wanted to offer my time to our brave young service men and women who are beginning their military career,” she said.

She also completed a two-week deployment in Fort Bliss, Tex. as part of the Afghanistan Resettlement.

“It was an incredible experience that I will never forget,” Tami added.

If you’re interested in becoming a Red Cross volunteer, go to redcross.org for more information.