Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference/Pacific Armies Management Seminar discussions begin

Photo By 1st Sgt. Jason Shepherd | Army chief of staff equivalents from 26 countries gather for their first multi-lateral class during the Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference in Tokyo, Aug. 25. Their topic was, "The role land forces should play in Civil-Military Cooperation/Interagency Cooperation and Building Disaster Management Operations."  

08.25.2009

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Jason Shepherd 

U.S. Army Pacific Public Affairs Office

By Sgt. 1st Class Jason Shepherd and Sgt. 1st Class Christina Bhatti

TOKYO, Japan - Senior military officials from more than 30 Pacific and Indian Ocean countries shared thoughts and lessons learned during the first two sessions of the Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference and Pacific Armies Management Seminar, Aug. 25.

Bangladeshi Maj. Gen. Mohammed Matiur Rahman, commanding general, 55th Infantry Division, began the morning with the topic, "Preparedness of Land Forces to Face Natural and Human-Induced Disasters."

Rahman said that Bangladesh is a disaster-prone country, thus the government quickly looks to the Armed Forces for help in the event of a disaster.

"Disaster management is a success story in Bangladesh," he said, adding that civilian deaths due to tsunamis and floods decrease each year as the Armed Forces and the government become better prepared.

Much of that is due to a strong Natural Disaster Management structure, consisting of a decision-making body, headed by the National Disaster Management Council, and the functional organization, headed by the Minister of Food and Disaster Management, he said.

The booklet, "Standing Orders on Disasters," gives guidelines to ensure the Bangladeshi armed forces are ready to provide aid when called upon, he added. Tasks include providing food and water, transportation of needed supplies and fixing communication assets, to name a few.

People's Republic of China army Sr. Col. Ouyang Wei, professor and director, Center for Defense Mobilization Studies of National Defense University finished the first session, stating that China's military is called upon quickly in the event of a natural or human-induced disaster.

"The Chinese army not only safeguards national sovereignty and territory integrity, but also conducts military operations other that war, including disaster relief and humanitarian rescue operations," he said. "History has proved that the Chinese army is the major force of the government to respond to natural disasters and destructive accidents."

He added that the Chinese response to disaster relief operations is to set up a command structure, headed by the National Emergency Response Office. The Armed Forces Emergency Response Office is one step below and provides the government with trained and ready troops. Their motto during any disaster relief operation is "putting people first," Ouyang added.

"Over the past few decades, the Chinese army has implemented a large number of domestic disaster relief missions and saved a lot of lives and property," he said. "In the 21st century, the Chinese army has also participated in the earthquake and tsunami relief operations in overseas countries."

Ouyang said he looked forward to working with other countries to fulfill the obligations of international rescue operations, to develop effective coordination and cooperation to prevent and reduce disasters.

During the afternoon session, Sri Lanka army Maj. Gen. J J P S T Liyanage, commandant, Sri Lankan Volunteer Force, spoke about the role land forces should play in Civil-Military Cooperation/Interagency Cooperation Teambuilding in disaster relief efforts.

Liyanage said that Sri Lanka learned many lessons on the subject after a tsunami hit the country in December, 2004, killing more than 23,000 people.

Terrorists using the tsunami as a way to bring in "war-like machines" under the guise of international humanitarian aid was a major lesson learned, he said.

In response, Sri Lanka prepares for a natural disaster by setting up three task forces, the Task Force for Rescue and Relief, the Task Force for Logistics and Law and Order, and the Task Force for Rebuilding the Nation. These three tasks force are able to provide relief and information, as well as ensure terrorists are held in check.

"In a disaster of this magnitude, the entire nation will be in a state of shock and everyone will be anxiously waiting to know the details of the disaster," Liyanage said. "The land forces will be inducted immediately for the relief operations and they are the people who will get the first hand information of the situation. Therefore, timely and accurate feeding of information through field formations is essential. "

Royal Thai army Col. Krisdha Areerajjakul, deputy director-general of Civil Affairs, followed Ouyang. He added the Royal Thai army will immediately set up Disaster Relief Centers in coordination with the government during his briefing.

"It is important that we maintain and enhance collaborative projects and cooperation between the Armed Forces and public and private partners for continuous and effective disaster management operations," he said.

After each session, the delegates broke into five syndicates to further discuss the topic.
PAMS is a multinational military seminar that provides a forum for senior-level officers from the Asia Pacific's regional ground forces to exchange views and ideas. It is not only a forum to enhance understanding of the subjects studied, it also provides an opportunity for the future leaders of the region's armies to establish and cultivate a set of strong interpersonal relationships.

Concurrently Army chief of staff equivalents from 26 countries discussed their topic, "The role land forces should play in Civil-Military Cooperation/Interagency Cooperation and Building Disaster Management Operations."

• Date Taken: 08.25.2009
• Date Posted: 08.28.2009 00:53
• Story ID: 38041