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| Prime Minister Hun Sen presents the Cambodian Friendship Medal to U.S. Army Maj. Mark Johnson for his work on the Chamnoam Bridge. |
Col. Steve Rundle, the U.S. Defense Attaché in Phnom Penh, noted that U.S. military assistance comes from many USPACOM subordinate commands and reserve components from around the U.S. Special Operations Command Pacific (SOCPAC) provides demining missions, which include courses in basic and advanced trauma management and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) safety procedures. U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) conducts the engineering projects that build bridges and schools. Both U.S. Army Pacific and Pacific Air Force have sent medical teams. Col. Rundle described his job as tying together these U.S. operations, the Cambodian government agencies, local and international NGOs, and a variety of funding sources.
Col. Rundle said, “What really makes all the effort worthwhile is the gratitude shown to us by farmers and their families, the ones who directly benefit from the U.S. projects. Just one bridge alone, built last year, opened up outbound market access and inbound medical treatment for well over 20,000 villagers. The 44-meter bridge officially opened during an inauguration ceremony hosted by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Ambassador Ray and attended by more than 5,000 people. The bridge is now informally known as the “American Bridge.”
The following are some of the activities that illustrate the scope of assistance provided by the small, but dynamic, team at the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh and by USPACOM’s military commands
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| Prime Minister Hun Sen presents the Cambodian Friendship Medal to U.S. Army Maj. Mark Johnson for his work on the Chamnoam Bridge. |
Humanitarian Demining
By far the most significant U.S. program is the effort to remove the hundreds of thousands of mines scattered throughout Cambodia. Some authorities estimate that it might take 100 years to demine all usable land, so the population can resettle and farm the thousands of square kilometers that are now lethal because of landmines and unexploded ordnance. Casualties are steadily increasing, and now unexploded ordnance accounts for 56 percent of all casualties in Cambodia.
Implemented in Cambodia in 1994, the demining program’s primary goal is to eliminate, within the next 10 years, the current annual casualty rate of more than 800 victims by increasing technical capabilities, efficiencies, and funding. About $2.5 million each year for the past four years has gone to this high-priority operation. This includes direct financial assistance to the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC) and to two private NGOs: the Hazardous Area Life-support Organization Trust and the Mines Advisory Group.
The demining program has matured significantly since its inception almost a decade ago. For the past three years, Special Operations Command Pacific (SOCPAC) has deployed Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) teams to Cambodia to provide training to CMAC. The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) Engineer Corps received demining training from SOCPAC teams before 1997 and are currently at a sustainment phase in their demining training.
The ODC is seeking future funding to purchase new mine detectors to replace the RCAF’s aging equipment. This will help the RCAF fulfill its assigned mission of assisting the government in national development.
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| Over 5,000 spectators attended the Chamnoam Bridge dedication ceremony. |
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