U.S., foreign officers exchange ideas during Pacific Unity

by Tech Sgt. LuCelia Ball
PACAF Public Affairs

4/8/2013 - JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii  -- Pacific Air Forces Airmen hosted civil engineers and security forces personnel from several Asia-Pacific nations as they participated in a subject matter expert exchange as part of Pacific Unity/Defender April 1 through 5 here.

Members of the Republic of Singapore Air Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Forces, Royal Thai Air Force, Royal New Zealand Army and Royal Cambodian Air Force participated in the exchange, part of U.S. Pacific Command's Theater Security Cooperation Program, co-hosted by senior civil engineering and security forces personnel from PACAF.

The purpose of the event is to build partnership capacity with foreign nations so we can interact with them more efficiently, said Capt. Khary Davis, PACAF CE planner, who facilitated the SME exchange for the CE personnel.

PACAF Installations and Mission Support partnered with PACAF International Affairs Division to develop an event curriculum and select a list of attendees. About five SME exchanges take place every year at PACAF.

"Depending on some of the topics that were discussed in a previous year, we may also schedule a SME exchange in a different country," said Davis.

During the event, twelve foreign participants began with an overview of PACOM and PACAF and then toured military units and civilian organizations to observe key facilities and programs, training, tactics and techniques used by CE and SF personnel.

"At the moment, I'm working in an operation-level headquarters and it helps to understand the area of where PACOM has interests and where PACAF has bases and where they do engagements," said Royal New Zealand Army Maj. Jono Meldrum, who is participating for the first time. "These are things that New Zealand does as well. It was good to get an understanding of how it works here."

The group toured facilities such as the Navy Facility Command Hawaii's Wastewater Treatment Plant, the 647th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight and the East West Center, an organization that promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Each person was able to learn about U.S. capabilities for infrastructure, disaster response and security and discuss each other's methods for the same.

The event also allowed for a greater understanding of how civil authorities and military members work hand-in-hand in some situations.

"We visited the (93d Civil Support Team) unit and it was interesting to learn how they are one of the few U.S. units who can respond for the state as well as for the federal government," said Meldrum. "There are some similarities with how it happens back home. Our local commanders have a certain authority to respond in a similar manner."

The relationship also made an impression with the members of the RTAF.

"I was amazed at the unity of command and control and the level of cooperation between the military and civilian units," said RTAF Wing Commander Watchara Sakunrat, who works in his unit water and sanitation division. "This is something that our country is trying to strengthen."

On the security side, the personnel learned about non-lethal weapons options, basic military security missions, how U.S. security forces units are set up and how they execute policy and development from PACAF headquarters.

"The purpose of the event is to foster relationships with our partner nations; get to know their capabilities as well as limitations and they in turn learn ours so that when we go out on future engagements, such as contingency operations, we know how each other operates," said Mr. Frank Deniz, security forces readiness specialist and Pacific Unity/Defender program manager.