Peacekeeping operations are the focus of training scenarios involving six nations
The scenario: A fragile nation immersed in tribal conflict requests help from its international partners to maintain a tentative cease-fire with rebel militias. So a coalition of Afghan, Tajik, Mongolian and U.S. Soldiers coalesces into a peacekeeping battalion under the auspices of the United Nations.
Now in its 10th year, U.S. Central Command’s Regional Cooperation 14 (RC 14) exercise was designed for Central and South Asian military forces with a shared interest in honing their skills at conducting stability operations, a significant change from past Regional Cooperation objectives.
Led by Tajikistan, the September 2014 exercise was held at Camp Edwards in the United States and brought together about 200 military officials from Afghanistan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and the U.S. The multilingual participants were thrust into training scenarios that imagined the creation of a joint battalion-level headquarters staff to provide security for the fictional land of Sotho.
Col. Saydullo Dadakhanov, one of the senior participants from Tajikistan, explained the twofold purpose of the exercise: Defeat those who undermine peace while providing humanitarian assistance. “This exercise gave practical experience in conducting peacekeeping operations and working in a multinational environment,” he said.
The characteristics exercise designers assigned to Sotho resemble those of real trouble spots around the world: It’s fragmented along ethnic lines, ringed by porous borders, riddled with unexploded mines and desperate for the attention of U.N. peacekeepers.
“Countries experiencing conflict often look to other nations for support in meeting security challenges,” said Maj. Gen. Rick Mattson, U.S. Central Command’s director of exercises and training. “The participation of delegations from Tajikistan, Mongolia and Afghanistan, as well as observers from Kazakhstan and Pakistan, demonstrates the willingness of those countries to provide leadership and security cooperation in difficult times.”
RC 14’s storyline demanded that exercise participants not only attend to purely military matters but also provide protection to civilians, interact with local officials, defuse labor strikes and coordinate with governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations, according to Lt. Col. Jon Custis, the lead U.S. planner for RC 14. As in past exercises, information gathering and sharing, efficient planning and mission coordination among Soldiers was vital. Linguists helped bridge the language gap among the multinational force.
The battalion staff was assigned to different branches that included operations, logistics, outreach, personnel and situational awareness.
“The things we learned are very helpful for us to use in Afghanistan. … Everyone participated and did their jobs very well. It was very helpful and important for us,” Afghan Col. Ghulam Sarwar Paikan said.
Although Pakistan and Kazakhstan played an observer’s role in 2014, they’ve been full-fledged participants in past years. Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic have all taken turns at hosting Regional Cooperation exercises. RC 13, for example, was held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, under the leadership of Kazakhstan.
The Mongolian Armed Forces delegation to RC 14 was important based on the country’s history in supporting U.N. peace support operations and its past training with Tajik forces.
Mongolia itself hosts an exercise called Khaan Quest. Much of the activity takes place at the Mongolian Armed Forces Peace Support Operations Training Center, a facility built specifically to equip regional forces for stability missions.
Col. Lkhagvasuren Ganselem, a Mongolian veteran of four U.N. missions, said RC 14 allowed him to apply his expertise and share it with others so that participants can succeed in the future. “They’ll stand shoulder to shoulder to deliver peace. They’ll know each other, how to build a team. They’ll be familiar with each other, the mission, environment and tools of the decision-making process,” Ganselem said.
RC 14 also included seminars and training from the U.S. Army’s Peacekeeping Stability Operations Institute.
RC 14 was deemed a success. “Relationships between participating nations were strengthened, interoperability between regional peacekeeping forces was improved, and cooperation between military forces, civilian organizations, and local populations improved significantly,” Mattson said.