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| Indian and U.S. Army personnel were among personnel from 13 countries who participated in Exercise SHANTI PATH 2003 in India. |
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Military forces and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from several countries participated in the second South Asia Peacekeeping Operation Command Post Exercise, called SHANTI PATH 2003, held in New Delhi, India, in February 2003. In the opening ceremony for SHANTI PATH, U.S. Ambassador to India Robert D. Blackwill noted that “Multilateral training will assist all in understanding the problems that arise when national armed forces with different histories, professional cultures, and procedures operate together.”
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| This two-week peacekeeping operation exercise involved 150 participants, including battalion staffs from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the U.S. and civil police and other staff officers from Madagascar, Mauritius, Fiji, Mongolia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, and Tonga. Cosponsored by the Indian and U.S. armies, the exercise familiarized participants with principles and techniques for conducting peacekeeping operations in a multilateral environment. Participants went through a week of training and a staff exchange seminar, followed by the planning and execution of a three-day computer-simulated peacekeeping operation. The focus of the exercise was to build regional security and increase force interoperability and readiness. |
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| Mongolian Army Lt. Col. G. Ragchaa (center) discusses command post events with U.S. military personnel. |
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During Exercise SHANTI PATH, a U.S. Army battalion coordinated and provided logistical support to four computer-simulated infantry battalions, totaling over 4,000 personnel with nearly 500 pieces of equipment from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the U.S; the multiforce headquarters; and the NGOs.
According to U.S. Army Lt. Col. Dan Georgi, the training provided all participants a unique opportunity to learn about the challenges of supporting UN operations, including the need to deal with the multitude of logistical requirements of a diverse force.
To coincide with the scenario, the U.S. Pacific Command provided a robust media team to train all participants on the importance of interacting with the media. Most participants were interviewed and the interviews were broadcast and viewed daily by all participants. The media training provided challenging and realistic conditions service members can expect to encounter in real UN operations.
“This was a great exercise,” said U.S. Army Capt. Audrey Woo. “It gave me the opportunity to learn how other nations logistically support their units.” The success of this exercise had a lot to do with India’s extensive peacekeeping experience. As Ambassador Blackwill pointed out, “The Indian Army’s skill in multilateral teamwork makes it the perfect co-host for this effort. Few countries have a more varied familiarity with peacekeeping than India, and its record of international service has provided the Indian military with crucial know-how.”
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| Meeting as the Force Headquarters Staff at Command Post Exercise SHANTI PATH in New Delhi, India, are counterclockwise from bottom: Col. A. K. S. Chaulhan, Indian Army; Col. Deepak Bikram Pande, Royal Nepal Army; Lt. Col. Md Abdur Razzaque, Bangladesh Army; Capt. Michael Blakely, U.S. Air Force; Wg. Cmdr. A. K. Pradhan, Indian Air Force; Maj. Ronald Domingue U.S. Marine Corps; and Maj. Robert Lehman, U.S. Army. |
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Capt. Tynice Roundtree, USA, is a member of the U.S. Army’s 524th Corps Support Battalion, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. |
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