13th Air Force Public Affairs
8/26/2010 - JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR HICKAM, Hawaii (AFNS) -- A 13th Air Force-hosted civil engineering subject-matter expert exchange that included officers from 14 Asia-Pacific countries concluded here Aug. 22.
The exchange allowed mid-level officers from regional Asia-Pacific partner nations to exchange views related to civil engineering operations, to tour U.S. military and civilian facilities and programs, and to establish international and interpersonal relationships.
The SMEE is a joint and combined military information-sharing forum designed to enhance regional partnerships and promote interoperability between U.S. forces and partner nations.
"This forum allowed our counterparts in the Asia-Pacific region a rare behind-the-scenes look at our civil engineering operations," said Col. Mark Bednar, the 13th Air Force Director of Installations Mission. "It clearly fostered relationship building and allowed all involved an opportunity to improve how we conduct business in a combined environment."
The exchange, which was conducted in three iterations this past summer, included officers from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Laos, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor Leste, Thailand, Tonga and Vietnam. It focused on emergency management preparation, disaster response, fire prevention, confined spaces, search and rescue, and general contingency engineering tactics.
"We are in the Pacific ring of fire where tsunami and volcanic activity could happen at any time, and we don't have any response options," said Lt. Col. Douglas Papa, the Papua New Guinea Defense Force director of engineers. "To be able to expose ourselves to this kind of training gives us an insight, and more so, it gives us confidence that there are people out there who are concerned about what's happening around the world. That in itself is kindness to humanity, assisting one another and exposing the technologies and ideas that are available, so at least other countries can be able to benefit."
The participants visited several locations throughout the U.S. including Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.; Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas; the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.; and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
During the delegates' visit to the Academy, they toured the school's department of civil and environmental engineering, where they observed Academy students in the field engineering readiness lab conducting mock deployments designed to allow the students to perform hands-on training in surveying, construction methods and using various construction materials.
"I think this seminar exposed us to a wealth of information that is very, very beneficial and we will go back armed with information to try to make a small change to what is happening in our respective countries," Colonel Papa said. "Many thanks to the facilitators, the participants (from the other countries) and everyone who has contributed to our knowledge gap in one way or another. Thank you."
The civil engineering community has conducted SMEEs for more than 40 years as their responsibilities have grown in number and complexity with more subject matter experts participating in exchanges to share the depth of knowledge required in specific areas.
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