Photo By Sgt. 1st Class April Davis | Indonesian National armed forces soldiers cheer in celebration at the Birendra Peace...... read more read more
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PANCHKHAL, Nepal – A torch of peace was lit at the Birendra Peace Operations Training Center in Panchkhal, Nepal, March 25, during the opening ceremony for Shanti Prayas-2, a Global Peace Operations Initiative training exercise.
The multinational exercise, led by the Nepalese Army and sponsored by U.S. Pacific Command, takes place March 25-April 7, bringing together military representatives from 23 nations to train in United Nations standards for operating in future peacekeeping missions.
A parade of platoons from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Paraguay, Philippines, and Rwanda marched together during the opening ceremony.
“It was a very good ceremony, I really enjoyed watching the troops marching in the parade,” said Maj. Kamal Amarakoon, an exercise participant with the Sri Lanka armed forces. “It is the United Nations responsibility to look after people all over the world; that’s why it is so important for nations to be involved in peacekeeping.”
Nepal’s Chairman of the Interim Election Council Khil Raj Regmi inaugurated the exercise during the festivities, which also included the laying of ceremonial wreaths, unveiling of a monument, lighting the torch of peace and a Nepalese Army helicopter flyover.
Lt. Gen. Thomas L. Conant, deputy commander, spoke on behalf of U.S. Pacific Command, describing the GPOI program as a U.S. funded security assistance program to enhance international capacity to conduct United Nations and regional peace support operations by building partner country capabilities.
“Like you, I was a UN peacekeeper in Somalia in 1994,” he said to the exercise participants at the ceremony. “I wear the UN badge proudly.”
The Shanti Prayas-2 exercise encompasses a senior training seminar and staff exercise at the Nepal Army Headquarters in Kathmandu, as well as a Field Training Exercise at BPOTC in Panchkhal.
The senior training seminar includes participants from 10 nations. The seminar allows senior military officers to network with each other and addresses the challenges of modern United Nations peacekeeping operations.
The staff exercise includes participants from 23 nations. Military staff officers will rehearse planning, coordination, and problem-solving using simulated scenarios that peacekeepers typically face during real-world UN missions.
The field training exercise includes platoons from 11 nations where they will learn tactical procedures for reacting to real-world peacekeeping scenarios.
| Date Taken: | 03.25.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 03.29.2013 17:00 |
| Story ID: | 104329 |
| Location: | PANCHKHAL, NP |
| Web Views: | 345 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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