COE Hosts Global Pandemic Influenza Workshops

In the event of a global pandemic, militaries around the world would expect to be called upon by governments to support civilian first-responders. In order to maintain this type of readiness, The Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (COE) plans to conduct pandemic influenza workshops in 11 countries throughout the Asia Pacific region in conjunction with the US military's Pacific Command (USPACOM) and Africa Command (AFRICOM).

From Feb. 24 to 26, initial workshops were held bringing together representatives from Asian-Pacific and African militaries. Workshop delegates were focused on putting together a planning guide for militaries and civilian planners in response to a possible influenza pandemic.

The week-long event was part of a workshop series derived from an agreement between the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of Defense (DoD) designed to improve pandemic influenza (PI) response in the Asia-Pacific and African regions .

"This is the most senior multinational event in the USAID / DOD Pandemic Influenza series worldwide, with representatives from Africa, Asia, UN and US DOD," said Andy Bates, COE lead for the PI workshop series.

The primary focus was to facilitate the creation of guidelines by national governments themselves that can be tailored to their respective countries' needs. Civilian and military leaders from more than 23 Asia-Pacific and 16 African participants, representing government organizations, institutes, and their militaries , attended. Key players included the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA), the UN World Food Program (WFP), the UN World Health Organization (WHO) the US Joint Task Force Homeland Defense, USAFRICOM and US NORTHCOM from the North American region.

The COE was established by the US Congress in 1994 to facilitate civil-military management in international disaster management and humanitarian assistance. It partners with a wide variety of national and international governmental, non-governmental and international organizations to provide relevant education, training, coordination and research. COE has coordinated and executed pandemic influenza workshops on behalf of USPACOM in the Asia Pacific since 2007.

Read More...

Cobra Gold, Lessons Learned on Disaster Relief

In a DOD Bloggers Roundtable on Feb. 2. Lt. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, commander of U.S. Army Pacific, discussed the importance of military exercise Cobra Gold.

Cobra Gold is one of the best and most important exercises that we do as
part of U.S. Pacific
Command...[it] highlights many of the activities that we do in the
Asia-Pacific region, a region that is extremely important to the United States,
obviously economically, but also from a standpoint of security, peace, and
stability on its effect on the U.S. "

Sponsored by PACOM and the Royal Thai Supreme Command, the three-week exercise started on Monday and includes a command post exercise, a series of medical and engineering civic action projects, and joint and combined field training. Much of the discussion during the DOD Bloggers Roundtable centered around Cobra Gold's history, new and future participants, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief efforts, force protection, and lessons learned.

Lt. Gen. Mixon added, "The exercise is important not only because it is one of the largest--if not the largest--multilateral exercises, but it also involves the first-ever deployment of the contingency command post...we envision this deployable command post to be involved in military operations...such as humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, peacekeeping and peace enforcement types of operations."

Lt. Gen. Mixon identified a shortfall during humanitarian assistance/disaster relief efforts during the recent natural disasters that struck the Philippines, Indonesia, and American Samoa. "One of the shortfalls that I felt like we had on the Army side was a fairly capable land-based command post that could set up very rapidly, work with the host nation and NGOs and establish communications and control..."

He added, "Lessons learned from my headquarters: Regional cooperation is always important...as we continue to do this training, we will only get better at the ability to respond rapidly and then to work together with all the other governmental agencies that would be involved in disaster relief."

The bloggers present during the DoD Bloggers Roundtable are as follows: Dale Kissinger, www.militaryavenue.com; Grim, www.blackfive.net; Jim Dolbow, www.blog.usni.org; and Shaun Tandon, www.afp.com. The full transcript can be found here.

Read More...

Cobra Gold Brings Multiple Nations Together for Training

Exercise Cobra Gold (website), in its 29th year, begins Monday, with service members from Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, and the U.S. as guests of host Thailand.

Sponsored by PACOM and the Royal Thai Supreme Command, the three-week exercise includes a command post exercise, a series of medical and engineering civic action projects, and joint and combined field training.

Observer Nations

The Command Post exercise focuses on training a Thai, U.S., Singaporean, Indonesian, and Republic of Korean coalition task force. The exercise also includes Japan participating within a United Nations Force (UNF) staff. A team comprised of representatives from Brunei, Chile, China, Germany, Laos, Mongolia, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Vietnam will observe the command post exercise at the invitation of Thailand.

Objectives

Among Cobra Gold 10’s objectives is training PACOM’s rapid deployment of a joint task force and subsequent coordination with U.N. forces, with the aim of improving PACOM’s ability to conduct multinational operations and increasing interoperability with partner nations.

“Thailand is one of our closest friends and partners in Asia, as well as being our oldest ally in Asia,” said Lt. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon, commander, U.S. Army, Pacific, (follow USARPAC on Twitter) who is leading the exercise for the U.S. “The Cobra Gold exercise is the largest multi-lateral joint military exercise in the world.”

Read More...

Collaborative Efforts Results in New Facilities, Road in Southern Philippines

A new birthing clinic, elementary school, and a road are among the most recent projects to be completed in the southern Philippines through the cooperative efforts of Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and local officials.

On Jan. 14, the school, which will accommodate 250 students, and the road in Sulu province were turned over during a ceremony. The school was constructed primarily by U.S. Navy civil engineers (Seabees) with security provided by AFP Marines. The five-kilometer road was build by local contractors with funding from JSOTF-P.

A birthing center was dedicated in Zamboanga City, also on Jan. 14. The four-room facility will provide low-cost prenatal and postpartum care. The clinic is also designed to accommodate normal deliveries and provide immunizations for young children. Mein College, which is managing the clinic, has a long history of partnership with the AFP and JSOTF-P. “The opening of this clinic will be a huge benefit for the people and families using this facility. But, it is also a victory in Zamboanga in that it represents what is possible when responsible citizens and organizations collaborate for the good of the community,” said JSOTF-P’s Chief of Staff Air Force Lt. Col. David Smith.

A variety of community ogranizations provided support during the two-year development of the birthing center, including the AFP’s Western Mindanao Command, Naval Forces Western Mindanao, and JSOTF-P.

At the request of the Government of the Philippines, JSOTF-P provides support to the AFP in several areas, including enhancing the AFP’s ability to provide humanitarian assistance to terrorist-inflicted communities, and through tactical training programs.For the latest updates on JSOTF-P and it’s collaboration with AFP, follow the command on Twitter, or on its website.

Read More...

Recognizing 50 Years of Partnership between Japan and the United States

“As we celebrate the anniversary of the treaty, we pay tribute to its role in supporting regional security and prosperity, and strengthening our two democracies. Let us now undertake to renew our alliance for the 21st century and enhance the bonds of friendship and common purpose that unite our nations.” President Barack Obama

Today, Jan. 19, marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the U.S. and Japan.

In a statement released by the White House, President Obama said, “The enduring partnership between the United States of America and Japan has helped bring unprecedented prosperity and peace in freedom to our nations. Our alliance has secured extraordinary benefits for the entire Asia Pacific region and made possible the unparalleled progress of the past five decades.”

In an article that appeared in both the International Herald Tribune and Asahi Shimbun, and available on the U.S. Embassy website, U.S. Ambassador to Japan John V. Roos stressed the critical nature of the treaty, signed in Washington in 1960.

“The interests of both the United States and Japan continue to be well served by the alliance,” Ambassador Roos wrote. “The alliance has endured for a half-century precisely because each partner derives benefits from it.”

Secretary of State Clinton, Secretary of Defense Gates, Minister for Foreign Affairs Okada, and Minister of Defense Kitazawa also issued a joint statement, affirming that "the U.S.-Japan Alliance plays an indispensable role in ensuring the security and prosperity of both the United States and Japan, as well as regional peace and stability."

For more on the U.S.-Japan Alliance, visit the U.S. Embassy’s webpage marking the anniversary of the security treaty.

YOKOSUKA, Japan (Jan. 19, 2010) – Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, Vice Adm. John M. Bird, and Commander-in-Chief Self Defense Fleet, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), Vice Adm. Masahiko Sugimoto hold commemorative plaques honoring the 50th anniversary of the alliance between the United States and Japan. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Greg Mitchell)

Read More...

How Social Media Helped PACOM in 2009

This past year, a lot of things have happened within PACOM's Area of Responsibility (AOR).

In the last three months alone, we've seen the value of social media in connecting us with people around the world as we carry out our mission in the Asia-Pacific region. We are thankful for those who have helped us spread the word via retweeting/reposting our messages primarily via Twitter and Facebook, most especially during our Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief operations in the Philippines, Indonesia, and American Samoa, this past October.

While it was good to see how much our daily Disaster Relief Fact sheets and Flickr photos were used and shared online, it was even more amazing to see how people came together in a time of crisis to help each other out.

A picture is truly worth a thousand words, and it’s a great way to show the various activities of our Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy service members around the AOR, such as participating in local community projects and outreach programs, leading or participating in joint military exercises, building relationships and collaborating with other countries to prepare for large-scale natural disasters, sharing best practices with local authorities to promote peace and security, and more recently, spreading the holiday cheer.

We are always moved by the comments that we receive, and we would like to thank our social media friends for amplifying our messages through the “likes” and reposts on Facebook, as well as via the mentions and retweets on Twitter, especially during #militarymonday and #followfriday. We get to hear of your support for our troops (#SOT on Twitter) not just on special occasions but every day!

Social media has definitely helped PACOM in telling stories that are often untold via traditional sources, but more importantly, it has helped us in connecting with you. We have certainly learned a lot, and we are looking forward to learning how we can further develop our social media efforts in 2010.

What are ways in which we can better connect with you this new year? What’s on your mind? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Read More...

Service Members Brighten Spirits of Philippine Children

Twenty members of Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P) spent a holiday evening visiting children at the Social Development Center in Zamboanga City Dec. 23.

As explained in a Manila Bulletin story, JSOTF-P volunteers started the evening playing games and singing Christmas carols with the nearly 60 children at the center. Later, the children received Christmas stockings and ate popcorn while watching movies. When the movies ended, the kids were led upstairs so they could see for the first time new bedding that had been donated by members of the task force.

In addition to this visit, over the past few months approximately 100 JSOTF-P volunteers have helped with painting the boys' and girls' rooms. At the time, volunteers noted that the children also needed new bedding, mattresses and draperies. From that point, a collection was taken and dozens of JSOTF-P service members contributed to a fund which paid for new bedding and drapes, courtesy of the Western Mindanao Command tailor.

Founded in 1994, the center serves as a residential facility for children who are abandoned, neglected, orphaned or abused. The children there receive personal care and rehabilitative services with the hopes that they will eventually be reintegrated back to their families and communities.

To learn more about JSOTF-P, visit the command’s website.

Read More...