Gen. Tan Sri Dató Md Hashim bin Hussein, Chief of Army, Malaysia, arrives at the 25th Pacific Armies Management Seminar (PAMS XXV) closing banquet, hosted by Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.

PAMS XXV

About 100 Army officers and government representatives from 33 countries in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions met in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 10-14 September 2001 for the 25th Pacific Armies Management Seminar (PAMS XXV). The Malaysian Army and U.S. Army, Pacific (USARPAC) co-hosted PAMS XXV.

PAMS is a multinational military seminar that provides a forum for senior-level officers from ground forces in the Asia-Pacific region to exchange views and ideas. PAMS promotes professional understanding and enhances relations among the region’s armies through the exchange of information in plenary sessions with national presentations, question and answer panels, syndicate discussions and briefings of results. PAMS also provides an opportunity for future leaders of the region’s armies to cultivate strong interpersonal relationships.

PAMS has held gatherings throughout the Asia-Pacific region since 1978, many in Honolulu and others in Auckland, New Zealand; Bangkok, Thailand; Dhaka, Bangladesh; Manila, Philippines; New Delhi, India; Seoul, Korea; Singapore; Sydney, Australia; and Tokyo, Japan. The seminar is an annual event, co-hosted by USARPAC and a partner army from the Asia-Pacific area.

The theme of PAMS XXV was "Peace Support Operations: The Challenges Ahead." Participants examined and discussed the following topics supporting the theme:

• Sustaining Excellence in Core Competencies — presented by Brig. Gen. Jamal Hisne bin Ishmail of Malaysia and Col. Philip Gibbons of New Zealand.

• The Case for Rapid Reaction Capabilities — presented by Maj. Gen. ---Sadip B. Shah of Nepal and Brig. John Houghton of the United Kingdom.

• The Interoperability Challenges — presented by Brig. A. G. Warner of Australia and Maj. Gen. Mohinder Singh of India.

• Civilian-Military Interface Requirements in Peace Support Operations — presented by Lt. Gen. Jaime S. De Los Santos of the Philippines and Col. Larry M. Forster of the United States.