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Cambodian soldiers receive a briefing for their simulated training mission - securing a U.N. checkpoint.
Cambodians Learn Peacekeeping Skills with U.S. Support
Udong, Cambodia
June 15, 2007
Approximately 100 members of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) recently participated in "Cambodia Peace Support Operations 2007," which ran June 4-17, 2007 in Udong at the Training and Mine Unexploded Ordinance Clearance Center, the proposed site for Cambodia's future peacekeeping training center. The exercise was sponsored by the RCAF and the U.S. Pacific Command with the support of the U.S. Department of State.
The purpose of the training program was to assist the RCAF improve its peace support operations. The program enabled RCAF instructors and participants to gain United Nations (UN) "Training Recognition", which will allow them to conduct possible peacekeeping missions worldwide under the Global Peace Operation Initiative (GPOI), a five-year peace operations capacity building program managed by the U.S. Department of State to address gaps in international peace support operations. Additionally, the training enhanced the RCAF's interoperability and professional relationships with U.S. forces and other Asia-Pacific militaries.
The peacekeeping training was based on UN guidelines and procedures and incorporated what every peacekeeper needs to know about UN peacekeeping tactics, techniques, and procedures. There are over 215 UN Peacekeeping tasks. Of these, 33 of the most common tasks were selected through coordination with the UN's Department of Peacekeeping and incorporated into six (6) "lanes" or situations: checkpoint operations, patrolling, humanitarian aid distribution, guarding fixed sites, convoy operations, and cordon and search. Each lane had a primary task objective and several sub tasks and was designed to improve speed of response, mission effectiveness, interoperability, and unity of effort. The training was undertaken in three phases.
The first phase was a "train-the-trainer" course for RCAF trainers on UN guidelines and procedures for conducting UN missions. This course will allow RCAF personnel to conduct and sustain training on their own. This is a UN "Training Recognition" requirement, and upon completion of the course, all trainers received a certificate of training.
The second phase involved classroom instruction on selected tasks, allowing participants to review and rehearse the standards that must be met for UN "Training Recognition" during the final phase of the training. During phase two, the participants also received concurrent training in code of conduct, human rights, humanitarian assistance and UN civil-military coordination.
The final phase evaluated the participants on executing the tasks required in each situational lane. For realism the lanes were scenario driven and platoons were evaluated on how well they responded to the scenario situations. Each platoon got one rotation for each lane (1 lane per day for six days). Platoons received UN "Training Recognition" upon successful completion of each lane. If a platoon did not successfully pass through a lane, an assessment was immediately conducted, all short comings were pointed out in detail to platoon leadership, and an appointed retraining and re-evaluation time was scheduled.
The US-Cambodian military relationship is a recently renewed relationship. Exercises like Cambodia Peace Support Operations 2007 enhance that relationship while contributing to regional peacekeeping training capabilities in Asia. U.S. and Cambodian forces have common interests, and the U.S. seeks to further theses areas of common interest by supporting the RCAF's efforts in peace support operations. This exercise assisted the RCAF to strengthen its capabilities in international peace support operations, promoted and enhanced Cambodia's initial commitment to UN peace support operations, assisted Cambodia in becoming a competent partner that cooperates in regional and international activities, and provided the RCAF preparation for participation in KHAAN QUEST 2007, a GPOI capstone event.
