ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia — Only one degree of separation, not the more common six, is needed to link the nation of Mongolia to the state of Tennessee. That degree of separation is Adm. Harry Harris, Commander of U.S. Pacific Command, and a special honor bestowed by Maj. Gen. Dulamsuren Davaa, Chief of the General Staff of Mongolia.

The honor: an official gift of a horse to be named by Harris. The horse’s new name: Volunteer. Harris’s home state: Tennessee.

Harris received this rare privilege during a recent trip to Mongolia where he observed training related to the multinational peacekeeping exercise Khaan Quest 2016, which is co-hosted by U.S. Pacific Command and held annually in Mongolia.

After the opening ceremony, Harris was given a tour of the training area, a vast open countryside where free-roaming horses are commonplace. He was surprised when his hosts presented him with his own horse and asked him to name it. Harris immediately had a name in mind.

“It seemed fitting that I name the chestnut orange horse Volunteer,” said Harris. “It represents the willingness of our Mongolian partners to volunteer in vital peacekeeping missions around the world. It represents their willingness to host 47 nations during this year’s exercise Khaan Quest. And since it’s a traditional custom for me to give the horse a permanent name that matters to me personally, I chose one that represents the spirit of my home state.” 

Tennessee is known as the “Volunteer State” from the willingness of citizens to volunteer for the War of 1812, the Texas Revolution, and the Mexican-American War. Fittingly, “Volunteers” is the mascot name for the University of Tennessee, which is located in East Tennessee where Harris was raised.

This spirit of voluntary service is a common trait in Mongolia as well. Mongolia has been a leading supporter of United Nations (U.N.) peacekeeping missions in the Indo-Asia Pacific region.

Considering the wide open spaces of landlocked Mongolia’s grassland plains, horses have always been prized animals and an essential part of Mongol culture. It is Mongolian tradition to present special dignitaries a horse. Harris is now in the esteemed company of others who have received a ceremonial horse, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel.

Khaan Quest was the capstone exercise for this year’s Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) program, which provides pre-deployment training to partner countries preparing to support U.N. peacekeeping missions. The exercise took place May 22-June 4 and was the largest Khaan Quest to date, with more than 1,500 participants from 47 nations.

“In 2003, Khaan Quest began as a joint training endeavor between Mongolia and the U.S.,” said Harris in his remarks at the opening ceremony. “Now, it’s a premier peacekeeping exercise involving dozens of nations from around the world. This is a testament to the power of partnership.”

Volunteer will remain in Mongolia with his herder; Harris will be able to visit his horse any time he is in the country. The horse can be proud of his Mongolian heritage and the Tennessee spirit of service and support for which he was named.