U.S. Special Operations Forces conduct JCETs (Joint/Combined Exchange Training) throughout the Asia-Pacific region at the invitation of regional governments. Highly skilled U.S. personnel improve regional unit and individual combat skills and humanitarian capabilities. Here U.S. Army Special Forces teach FN/FAL rifle marksmanship to Republic of the Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force personnel.

Located above Pearl Harbor, Hawaii sits Camp H. M. Smith, the starting point for the Joint/Combined Exchange Training Program (JCET) in the Pacific. The JCET program is a series of joint and combined Special Operations Forces (SOF) deployments for bi-lateral training conducted in the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) area of responsibility.

The USPACOM JCET program began in 1992. The Commander Special Operations Command, Pacific (COMSOCPAC) serves as the executive agent for the program. JCET events cover a wide range of activity. The primary focus of the program is to improve unit and individual combat readiness of United States SOF as well as friendly Asia-Pacific armed forces and to enhance bilateral relations and interoperability with regional nations through improved military-to-military contacts.

JCET Events and Focus

SOCPAC plans JCETs based on the SOF unit's Mission Essential Task List and the host nation's requests. The size of an event can be tailored to meet host nation objectives. SOF which participate in these events include U.S. Army Special Forces, U.S. Air Force Special Operations Forces, U.S. Navy Sea Air Land (SEAL) forces and/or Special Boat Units, and U.S. Army Psychological Operations forces and Civil Affairs units. The average JCET consists of one or two Special Forces Operational Detachment "Alpha" (SFODA) (12 personnel) or one SEAL platoon (16 personnel), and one or two fixed-wing or rotary-wing Air Force Special Operations aircraft.

Though the primary focus is combat readiness, the JCET program directly supports regional stability throughout the theater. Training typically focuses on humanitarian assistance operations, disaster assistance/relief operations, civic assistance projects, and foreign internal defense. These projects allow constructive interaction among Asia-Pacific military and civilians and U.S. SOF.

JCET Planning

COMSOCPAC sponsors semiannual JCET conferences to plan the overall program. For Fiscal Year 1998, SOCPAC is planning 44 JCET events in 23 countries. Significant breakthroughs have taken place in countries like Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Russia, and Uzbekistan. In some of these countries, the JCET program provided the first USCINCPAC military contacts with their national military forces.

Flexibility

SOF are flexible and can work effectively across the broad spectrum of military operations, from peace through general war. For example, SOF can assist other nations in attaining higher training standards, military skills proficiency, and professionalism. Many nations without SOF equivalent counterparts want to train with the United States, but prefer to start at a small level. When it is appropriate, U.S. SOF can conduct training with both conventional forces and civilian government agencies. This type of training has been done in Bangladesh and Nepal, for example, where the program concentrated heavily on training for disaster preparedness and humanitarian relief operations.

In many cases JCET events combine Medical or Engineering Civic Action Projects (MEDCAP/ENCAP). Some recent JCET events have focused on medical cross-training and culminated with a MEDCAP providing medical, dental, and veterinary clinics for communities in areas far from any health services. ENCAPs have rebuilt storm-damaged water distribution or storage systems, refurbished school classrooms, and re-paved road surfaces.

Why Special Operations Forces?

U.S. SOF are ideally suited for these missions for a number of reasons. They are highly trained, well led, flexible and adaptable. They can adjust quickly to meet the needs of the country they are assisting. Also, SOF are area oriented. Most SOF supporting SOCPAC's JCET program have spent the majority of their careers in the Pacific Theater. Thus, SOF not only participate in the host nation's training activities, they have learned to respect the customs, may speak the language, and often participate in host nation special cultural activities/functions.

JCET programs are one of the most commonly employed programs by U.S. embassies in the Pacific to assist the host country's armed forces. The JCET program is considered particularly useful since its personnel possess the needed combination of military, linguistic, cultural and technical skills. Equally valuable are the detailed training packages and the quality of training provided. In future multilateral operations, SOF will likely remain the common element uniting the various host nation military participants and combined counterparts.

Program of the Future

President Clinton's national security strategy of engagement signals that operations other than war (humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and peace operations) will be the "growth industry" in future U.S. relations with other nations. The SOCPAC JCET program sustains these relations.

SOCPAC's Joint/Combined Exchange Training program is prepared to move into appropriate emerging mission areas to help fill new training needs in the Asia-Pacific region. The JCET program serves several purposes which are increasingly important in promoting cooperative operations with Asia-Pacific nations. JCETs act as a force multiplier in support of a host nation's goal of training its forces. JCETs expand the host nation's capabilities to react to situations requiring exceptional sensitivity, including non-combat missions such as humanitarian assistance, security assistance, and peace operations. JCETs are the stepping stones to the future, providing participating nations with capabilities that extend their vision beyond the battlefield, increasing their flexibility, enhancing their effectiveness for maintaining already existent high training standards, and gaining experience not available through other programs.

Conclusion

USCINCPAC intends to continue to work at its current operations tempo while preparing to offer such training to Asia-Pacific nations as the political situations allow. The JCET program provides an excellent training opportunity for all nations involved, since it emphasizes the skills required to meet the most likely future military scenarios at the lower end of the spectrum of conflict. These exercises also enhance interoperability among the militaries of the region and promote regional stability. Thus, the JCET program serves many vital needs in the Asia-Pacific region.