Nepalese army hosts multinational exercise, shares peacekeeping experience with 23 other nations

Photo By Staff Sgt. Cory Grogan | Nepalese Army peacekeeping trainers, Maj. Ananta Bahadur Singh (right) and Capt. Sunita K.C. (left), give feedback to soldiers for an After Actions Review of training at Shanti Prayas-2, a peacekeeping exercise involving platoons from 11 nations, at the Birendra Peace Operations Training Center. Shanti Prayas-2, a Global Peace Operations Initiative training exercise, is a multinational exercise, led by the Nepalese Army and sponsored by the U.S. Pacific Command, to train United Nations standards for operating in future peacekeeping missions. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Cory Grogan, 115 Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)  

PANCHKHAL, NEPAL

04.02.2013

Story by Sgt. Cory Grogan 

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command         

By Sgt. Cory Grogan, 115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

PANCHKHAL, Nepal – Shanti Prayas-2, a Global Peace Operations Initiative multinational training exercise, led by the Nepalese army and sponsored by the U.S. Pacific Command, is taking place March 25 to April 7, bringing together military representatives from 23 nations training to U.N. standards for operations in future peacekeeping missions.

The exercise, called Shanti Prayas-2, encompasses a senior training seminar and staff officer training exercise at the Nepal Army headquarters in Kathmandu, as well as a field training exercise at the Birendra Peace Operations Training Center in Panchkhal.

GPOI is a U.S.-funded security assistance program designed to enhance international capacity to conduct U.N. and regional peace support operations by building partner-country capabilities.

The field training exercise includes platoons from 11 nations learning tactical procedures for reacting to realistic, real- world peacekeeping scenarios. The realistic training includes hundreds of role players trained by the Nepalese army to ensure practical scenarios. Training lanes include patrol, cordon and search, check point, convoy and escort, safeguarding a humanitarian distribution site, protecting a UN designated site, medical aid, disaster rescue and more.

For Nepalese trainers, peacekeeping is a passion. Maj. Ananta Bahadur Singh, who has been on missions to Burundi and Haiti, said Nepal has vowed to be a leader for the U.N. Nepal has deployed approximately 95,000 peacekeepers to date and the government has told soldiers that peacekeeping is a duty when they join the Nepalese army, said Singh.

“Our government has said we will deploy at least 5,000 peacekeepers anytime, anywhere if needed,” he said.

When talking with trainers like Singh and his counterpart, Capt. Sunita K.C., it is easy to see why Nepal is a leader. Sunita has participated in at least six GPOI courses and four field training exercises and says she takes pride in her experience being a part of the Nepalese army.

“In my country we want to get experience and go on missions if we can,” said Sunita.

She is set to go on her first mission to the Congo soon and says it is one of the most important things she will do in her life.

“It will fulfill my peacekeeping experience, I will be complete,” Sunita added.

Sunita said she loves being a peacekeeper, but that it can be difficult to accomplish the mission in dangerous places.

“We have to be neutral to keep peace and not be part of the conflict,” she said.

Singh mentioned that he learned a lot from his two deployments and culture shock, language barrier, stress management and being away from family are all difficult on the six-month missions.

However, he explained that someone has to be peacekeepers and Nepal has been doing it for 55 years.

“My father was a peacekeeper on three missions and I have always wanted to follow in his footsteps and make him proud,” Singh said. “It is my duty to the Nepalese government.”

Singh explained knowing other cultures and being respectful of those cultures is one of the most important parts of peacekeeping. Cultural awareness is always a key and Shanti Prayas-2 is no exception, he said.

He cited a motto the Nepalese army has: “Sweat saves blood — if we work hard here, we will save lives on missions,” he said. “I would be happy if platoons here could use their training in a mission area.”

Singh explained that every day platoons are learning something new and that all countries learn from each other any time there is a multinational peacekeeping training exercise, like this year’s Shanti Prayas-2 in Nepal.

• Date Taken: 04.02.2013
• Date Posted: 04.04.2013 07:48
• Story ID: 104597
• Location: PANCHKHAL, NP