Background: Recent terrorist attacks and mass shooting incidents in major European and North American cities have shown the unexpected influx of large volumes of patients with complex multi-system injuries. The rise of subspecialisation and the low violence-related penetrating injuries among European cities, show the reality that most surgical programs are unable to provide sufficient exposure to penetrating and blast injuries. The aim of this study is to describe and create a collaborative program between a major South African trauma service and a NATO country military medical service, with synergistic effect on both partners. This program includes comprehensive cross-disciplinary training & teaching, and scientific research. Methods: This is a retrospective descriptive study. The Pietermaritzburg hospital and Netherlands military trauma register databases were used for analysing patient data: