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Cambodian soldiers salute their American trainer, at the end of a two week course on peacekeeping skills.
Cambodians Learn Peacekeeping Skills with U.S. Support
Cambodia
December 18, 2008
On Thursday December 18th Deputy Chief of Mission Piper Campbell spoke at the closing ceremony of the Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) which marked the end of a three week training course for Cambodian peacekeepers. This was the third in a series of training courses that GPOI has run in Cambodia, and involved trainers not only from Pacific Command and the Oregon National Guard but also an Nepalese Army Officer, the first time an international team member has been included in such an event. The course included 33 officers and NCOs from the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF), and covered the theory and practice of tactical level peacekeeping in a variety of contexts. In her remarks the DCM stressed the importance of such training courses to our military to military relationship, and that Cambodia’s willingness to participate in such a program is a testament to their desire to give back to the international community after receiving similar assistance during its own conflicted past. The completion of this training course sets the stage for the GPOI capstone initiative in 2010 which will also be held in Cambodia.
