Ex-Shanti Doot 2: 14 country multinational peacekeeping exercise in Bangladesh

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12 countries join US military-led peacekeeping exercise in Bangladesh

By Julhas Alam, The Associated Press

RAJENDRAPUR CANTONMENT, Bangladesh (AP) - Multinational peacekeeping exercises kicked off in Bangladesh with troops from 12 countries participating in the U.S.-led drills, officials said.

Some 400 soldiers from nations such as India, Indonesia, South Korea, and Sri Lanka were taking part in the three-week exercises dubbed "Ambassador of Peace."

American Lt. Col. Edward Tanguy, commander of the 249th Regional Training Institute in the United States, said Sunday the drills will involve checkpoint and convoy operations, patrols, and search-and-disarmament skills.

"This exercise provides us the opportunity to exchange tactics, techniques and procedures at the tactical level with all the multinational forces," Tanguy said at the training site at Rajendrapur Cantonment near the capital Dhaka.

"Our goal is to enhance the readiness and interoperability of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, the U.S. Army and other multination participant forces," he said.

Many of the nations' soldiers participating have worked in relief operations after natural disasters struck their countries, and these experiences were valuable for UN peacekeepers, Tanguy said.

Bangladeshi soldiers were called in after a devastating cyclone last year killed about 3,400 people. Indonesian, Indian, and Sri Lankan troops helped out after the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami left more than 200,000 people dead.

S.M. Ziaur Rahman, Bangladesh's Air Force chief, said such exercises would create more confidence among soldiers contributing to UN peacekeeping missions.

Bangladesh is the second largest contributor of troops for UN operations with 9,856 soldiers. Pakistan tops the list with 10,610 peacekeepers and India is third with 9,357.

Troops from the U.S., Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nepal, Brunei, Cambodia, Mongolia, and Tonga will also participate in the "Ambassador of Peace" manoeuvres.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/080406/..._peacekeeping_1

 

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RBAF To Participate Military Exercise In Bangladesh
Tuesday, 01 April 2008

29a-3front.jpgBandar Seri Begawan, Saturday 29 March 2008 - 5 officers and 29 personnel from the Royal Brunei Land Forces have left for the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to participate in 2nd Exercise Shanti Doot on March 29, 2008. Exercise Shanti Doot is a Multi-National Peace Support Operation Exercise organized by United States Army Pacific Command (USAPAC), which begins from 1st until 21st April 2008. The exercise involves theoretical and practical procedures of Peace Keeping Operations in line with United Nations Standardised Generic Training Modules (UNSGTM) and United Nations Approved Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPS).

This participation is one of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces initiatives as outlined in the Defence White Paper Update 2007. Present at the Brunei International Airport to bid farewell were the Acting Commander of the Royal Brunei Land Forces, Colonel Haji Yussof bin Haji Abd Rahman and senior officers of the Royal Brunei Land Forces.

Ministry of Defence. Brunei Darussalam

 

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US Army Pacific Deputy Commanding completes his visit
UNB, Dhaka

US Army Pacific Command Deputy Commander Major General Patrick D. Wilson completed a two-day visit to Bangladesh yesterday.

The primary purpose of Major General Wilson's visit was to observe Exercise Shanti Doot 2, a co-sponsored Bangladesh -U.S. military exercise under the Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI).

GPOI is a five-year program managed by the U.S. Department of State to address major gaps in international peace operations.

Armed forces from Brunei, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, South Korea, and Tonga are training along side their counterparts from the U.S. and Bangladesh.

The field training exercises held at the Rajendrapur Cantonment are training conventional forces in peace operations core competencies. U.S., Bangladeshi and international forces are conducting peace operations training and tactical exercises designed to improve multi-national speed of response, mission effectiveness, interoperability and unity of effort.

A release of the US embassy said through participation in this exercise, U.S., Bangladeshi and other international forces will strengthen their peace operations capabilities, improve interoperability and gain planning expertise.

It said the overall goal is for participants to achieve United Nations "Training Recognition" status, training Bangladeshi armed forces, U.S. and international instructors as part of GPOI.

Approximately 30 U.S. military, 350 Bangladesh Soldiers, and over 400 armed forces from other countries are participating in the Shanti Doot 2.

The New Nation - Internet Edition

 

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Indonesia Joins UN Peace Mission Exercise In Bangladesh

JAKARTA, April 8 (Bernama) -- Indonesia on Sunday sent 40 military personnel to join a UN peacekeeping force exercise in Bangladesh.

The exercise, code-named "Shanti Doot-2", was opened by Bangladeshi Air Force Chief of Staff Vice Marshal Zia Rahman at the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT), an institute responsible for handling peace missions, Antara news agency on Tuesday quoted a press statement issued by the Indonesian Military (TNI) Headquarters as saying.

The activity which involved 16 Asia-Pacific countries was aimed at improving the skills of each participating country's security personnel in maintaining peace, the statement said.

During the exercise, each participating country was required to take part in the command post exercise (CPX) and field training exercise (FTX), it said.

It said the TNI sent eight middle-ranking officers to take part in the CPX and 32 non-commissioned officers in the FTX.

The subject of the exercise was adjusted to the problems faced by personnel assigned in peacekeeping operations, it said.

Indonesia is slated to host such exercise in 2009.

-- BERNAMA

Indonesia Joins UN Peace Mission Exercise In Bangladesh :: Bernama.com

 

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Peacekeepers stress training

Tue, Apr 15th, 2008 8:54 pm BdST
Rajendrapur, April 15 (bdnews24.com)—Peacekeepers taking part in a peace support operations exercise have stressed the need for training to help them play a significant role in keeping world peace in an age rattled by the threat of terror.

Exercise Shanti Doot-2 began on April 1.

The training being held at the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operations Training (BIPSOT) has been designed to show the difference between success and failure in future peacekeeping operations, said Brigadier General Saiful Ali, BIPSOT commandant, Tuesday.

"When these soldiers leave BIPSOT, we want them to be trained competent peacekeepers that will discharge their duties and remained calm when attacked and composed under provocation," Ali added.

Lieutenant colonel Edward Tanguy of the US army said: "Our efforts will enhance the availability and capability of these countries to participate in UN regional and worldwide peacekeeping operations."

For three weeks, more than 400 soldiers from 10 countries have been training at the BIPSOT in Rajendrapur Cantonment, according to a statement issued Tuesday.

"The Bangladesh people have been hospitable and extremely friendly," said Corporal Amir Biy Hj Tlidup of the Royal Brunei Army.

The scenarios at BIPSOT have been based on real-life incidents, which add to the realism of training, said Sgt Mazlan Hj Abd Halim, also from Brunei.

Lieutenant Sunil Soni of Indian army said: "Peace has become a vital need in today's world. No place in the world has been devoid of terror, so to maintain peace and to make the world a better place, peacekeeping is necessary."

The interaction with other nations and showing of experience has certainly been wonderful and of much use, Sunil Soni said.

Captain Mohammad Noman of Bangladesh Army said: "The training is important and essential."

He said Bangladesh peacekeepers were preparing to join a peacekeeping mission in the Ivory Coast by August.

The Bangladesh Army and the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) are the host and co-sponsor of the exercise.

The exercise consists of two packages—command post exercise (CPX), slated for April 1-11 at Radisson, and field training exercise (FTX) scheduled for April 1-20 at BIPSOT.

The exercise will continue until April 20 under the Global Peace Operations Initiative Programme framework.

Around 360 military personnel from 11 countries participated in the FTX. About 120 military and civil personnel from 16 countries—Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, India, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Korea, UK, Mongolia, Tonga and the US—joined the CPX.

Bangladesh is holding 25 key appointments including exercise director/UN Force Headquarters commander and force commander in the CPX.

The CPX had three segments such as academic session on April 1-4, mini exercise on April 5 and exercise play on April 7-11.

The certificate awarding ceremony of the CPX will be held at Hotel Radisson at 3.30 pm on April 11, to be attended by the naval chief, vice admiral Sarwar Jahan Nizam.

BIPSOT is an institute of Bangladesh dedicated to training of peacekeepers for employment in all types of UN Peace Support Operations.

The institute fulfils the requirement of UNDPKO as per General Assembly resolution which outlines 'the necessity and responsibility of every nation to train their armed forces before any deployment'.

 

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Boosting efforts to establish global peace
Porimol Palma, back from Rajendrapur Cantonment

The word 'soldiers' creates a picture of fight and casualties in the mind, but the ongoing multinational military exercise at Rajendrapur Cantonment forms a different picture -- interaction with general mass and solving their problems through dialogues.

Around 400 soldiers from 11 countries are not only learning the tools to deal with the issues in the conflict-ridden regions of the world but also learning cultures of various regions and ways to make friendship with a view to boosting their efforts to establish global peace and face evil elements disturbing harmonious living.

A number of foreign participants made this observation to reporters during a visit to the Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support Operations Training (BIPSOT) at Rajendrapur Cantonment yesterday.

The military exercise titled 'Shanti Doot-2', which means peace ambassador, has been organised under the auspices of the US-based Global Peace Operation Initiative (GPOI). It started on April 6 and will end on April 20.

"Our efforts will enhance the availability and capability of these countries to participate in the regional and worldwide UN peacekeeping operations," said Lt Col Edward Tanguy of US Army, commander of the 249th Regional Training Institute in Oregon.

To ensure the exercise matches conditions that participants are likely to encounter during real peacekeeping missions, Bangladesh Armed Forces provided UN-type vehicles for all the scenarios, installed UN checkpoints and hired local people to portray a variety of roles.

"To maintain peace is a great job and we are here to learn how to meet the peacekeeping needs of the world," said Lt BC Banita of Nepal. Female soldiers alongside their male colleagues are doing excellent work in the exercise, she said.

Peace has become a vital need in today's world, said Lt Sunil Soni of the Indian Army.

“We the soldiers are trained for fighting, but here it is something different. We are learning how to deal with people, interact with them and sharing cultures of different countries," said Sergeant Zed Warnock of the US Army.

In the UN missions, peacekeepers have some common tasks. Therefore, they need better understanding and mutual trust among themselves for better results, said Brig Gen Saiful Ali, commandant of BIPSOT.

There are around 8000 Bangladeshi peacekeepers in the UN missions across the world and they are working with reputation, he added.

The countries participating in the 'Shanti Doot-2' include Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tonga and United States.

:The Daily Star: Internet Edition