Photo By Sgt. Nickson Schenk | U.S. Army Maj. Jessica Coffey, right, the Army forces officer in charge from the 130th...... read more read more
BAUCAU, Timor-Leste – The Falintil Forca de Defensa de Timor-Leste and the U.S. Army Pacific hosted the opening ceremony for the fourth iteration of the exercise Dalan Ba Dame on June 10, 2024.
The U.S. is represented by Soldiers from the 84th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command; the 411th Engineer Battalion, 303rd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, 9th Mission Support Command; and the Rhode Island National Guard.
The ceremony included remarks from Brig. Gen. Lance A. Okamura, USARPAC’s deputy commanding general for mobilization and Reserve affairs, Chargé d’Affaires for the U.S. Embassy, Marc Weinstock, and F-FDTL Navy Capt. Juan Da Silva, deputy chief of staff of the F-FDTL.
Da Silva commented on the remarkable efforts made by planners from the U.S. and the F-FDTL, stating, “They made sure we can train, exercise and learn from each other.”
The U.S. forces are motivated to build upon the existing partnership between the two nations.
“It's an honor and a privilege to represent the U.S. Army in Timor-Leste and to strengthen the relationship shared between our two nations,” said Maj. Jessica Coffey, the U.S. Army forces officer in charge of the exercise, assigned to the 130th Engineer Brigade.
The F-FDTL and the U.S. began hosting this exercise in 2021. This year, DbD24 will take place June 10-26 and is meant to strengthen the trust and interoperability between the U.S. and its partners in Timor-Leste.
“The relationships fostered here at this exercise represent the strength and essence of our growing partnership,” Okamura said. “They form a sturdy foundation upon making sure of our mutual interest, including enhancing the F-FDTL’s capacity to defend the sovereignty of Timor-Leste.”
This year's exercise includes an engineering civic assistance project led by the 411th Engineer Battalion, a 100-meter range construction project led by the 84th Engineer Brigade, and subject matter expert exchanges involving tactical casualty combat care, or TC3, and infantry tactics led by the Rhode Island National Guard.
“This exercise is an opportunity to work together, share knowledge and enhance our collective capabilities,” said Weinstock.
Dalan ba Dame translates to ‘path to peace’ in Tetum, a native language of Timor-Leste.
DbD24 allows the U.S. to show that relationships with partner countries matter. The exercise solidifies USARPAC’s mission for a free and open Indo-Pacific and illustrates that the U.S. Army is setting conditions for success.
| Date Taken: | 06.10.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.11.2024 23:40 |
| Story ID: | 473691 |
| Location: | BAUCAU, TL |
| Web Views: | 165 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, ‘Path to peace’ - Dalan Ba Dame 2024 begins, by SGT Nickson Schenk, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
Multinational
Pacific Ocean
US Pacific Command (USPACOM)
Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (Timor-Leste)
Engineer, Construction, Facilities, & Equipment
