HONOLULU – Representatives from Sri Lanka, as well as more than 20 partner and allied militaries, gathered to discuss the value of amphibious logistics during the Pacific Amphibious Leadership Symposium, or PALS, in Honolulu, Hawaii, May 21-24, 2018.
One of the key themes discussed at this year’s symposium was logistical support to amphibious operations.
“They have selected very timely topic this time to discuss in regard to logistics because most of the times, most of the operations that we discuss during the symposium, the leaders or the people forget the role of the logisticians at the end of any kind of operations,” said Sri Lanka Navy Rear Adm. Udeni Indranatha Serasinghe, director, Naval Land Operations, and director, Marine Naval Headquarters. “The whole of operations depends on logistic support.”
PALS was created to enhance amphibious operability and crisis response capabilities and mutual international relationships. The symposium is designed to foster greater stability and prosperity by facilitating multilateral/ bilateral discussions and engagements to plan, foster and encourage amphibious development.
“We’re sharing ideas with 22 [militaries], you can bet somebody is trying something new,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. David H. Berger, commander, U.S. Marine Corps Force, Pacific. “So you can accelerate your learning, you can build your readiness if you are humble enough to accept other countries who are on the same path as you are, and that’s the whole purpose of this.”
The symposium brings together militaries with established amphibious capabilities, as well as those looking to further develop their own.
“The amphibious forces, the amphibious ships enable flexibility of conducting a large range of effects for military operations. For PALS, it makes the amphibious leaders and the planners get together and discuss the capabilities, and to exchange their know-how and experiences,” Serasinghe said. “[This enables] them to establish relationships and cooperation. I found this is the only platform for the amphibious leaders to get together and it’s a great opportunity for partner countries.”