Annual Indonesia Exercise Focused on Peacekeeping

Garuda Shield, hosted annually by Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI), the Indonesian Armed Forces, opened June 16 and this year is serving is a Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) capstone exercise.

During the exercise in Bandung, Indonesia, training will focus on peace support operations (PSO), and will include a United Nations Force Headquarters computer-simulated command post exercise. A field training exercise will include events such as checkpoint operations, patrolling, securing a distribution site, and convoy operations. Several humanitarian and civic assistance projects are also taking place.

More than 20 nations are taking part in, or observing various aspects of the exercise, as reported by Antara news service.

Prior to Garuda Shield, military officers from 19 nations took part in three days of classes focused on United Nations policy and practices.

The goal of GPOI is to expand capability for PSO, and includes events to train and, as appropriate, equip 75,000 military PSO troops worldwide through 2010. GPOI objectives include developing transportation and logistics support arrangements to help troops deploy and to help sustain them in the field, as well as various capacity building efforts.

U.S. Pacific Command exercises like Garuda Shield strengthen regional peacekeeping capabilities that are applied worldwide, while also enhancing multinational relationships and collaboration.

Keep up with the exercise on the Garuda Shield website.