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| Kathmandu, Tuesday January 14, 2003 Paush 30, 2059. |
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US forces in Nepal for joint
military exercise
By Surendra Phuyal
KATHMANDU, Jan 13:A team of the US Pacific
Command forces is currently in Nepal as part of a joint military training exercise with
the Royal Nepal Army soldiers, which will continue for a month beginning next week. A
platoon each from both countries will take part in the exercise.
While this is a "kind of a routine, annual
exercise" involving the US and the Nepalese soldiers, the exercise has three
purposes: to enhance the operational capability of the US Pacific forces; to improve their
inter-operability with other forces; and also to increase the tactical efficiency of the
host nation, according to Constance Colding Jones, the US Embassy spokesperson in
Kathmandu.
Dubbed ‘Joint Combined Exchange
Training’, "the exercise also includes some medical trauma and emergency
(drills) that may be needed during natural disasters," Jones told The Kathmandu Post.
"The exercise is part of our on-going military exchange programme. It’s a
business-as-usual kind of thing."
Such an exchange programme, she added, has been
going on between the RNA and the US Pacific Command since mid-1990s. The United States has
entered into agreements with a total of 25 countries in the Asia Pacific region to conduct
such exercises.
The RNA officials, meanwhile, said the US
Pacific Command forces comprising of a platoon will partake in the exercise together with
a RNA platoon somewhere in central Nepal. "The exercise will start next week,"
an official told The Kathmandu Post.
The RNA has been involved in similar joint
military exercises also with the British Army. Just a few months ago, a joint British
Army-RNA combined military exercise for effective disaster management was conducted in
Kathmandu Valley.
A few examples of similar exercises forces are,
the "Baker Neptune", and "Hold Fast". While the former was conducted
once, about nine years ago, the latter was done thrice all in the mid-1990s.
Widely acclaimed for its expertise in various UN
peacekeeping operations, the RNA also participated in a multi-platoon training event with
forces from the US, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The event was held at the RNA’s
Peacekeeping Training Centre, Kavre-Panchkhal three years ago.
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