Keris Strike 14 came to an end with an official closing ceremony here, Friday, to commemorate the 18th iteration of the U.S. and Malaysian bilateral exercise, which began Sept. 13.

Although Keris Strike is an annual exercise, this year's training has evolved and progressed from previous iterations. For the first time, Strykers trained on Malaysian soil, unmanned aircraft systems flew in and around Kota Bharu, and 25th Infantry Division successfully established a forward-deployed, division-level command node, known as the Early Entry Command Post, known as an EECP.

"The EECP provides the commanding general real-time feedback and updates to make decisions and implement courses of action," said Sgt. 1st Class Newman, 25th Infantry Division EECP non-commissioned officer in charge. "The establishment of the EECP allowed 2-2 Infantry to come in and immediately begin training."

Malaysian Army Rangers from 555th Royal Ranger Regiment, kicked off the exercise with a thorough demonstration on jungle sustainment and survival, during Jungle Academics. After a week of intense training, U.S. infantry Soldiers honed their jungle skills by joining their counterparts in Malaysia's austere jungle environment, for 72 hours.

Simultaneously, while Malaysian Rangers taught jungle survival training, a team of U.S. Army Soldiers spent the duration of the exercise teaching Stryker operations.

Malaysian Army Soldiers were trained and tested on mounted Stryker patrol tactics, to include, Counter-IED tactics, how react to small arms fire, ambushes and other possible enemy threats to consider during mounted and dismounted patrols. The realistic training included a MedEvac by U.S. helicopter to a local civilian hospital, where both armies partnered to sharpen their medical skills.

U.S. medics and Malaysian doctors also partnered throughout the exercise to conduct medical first responder training. Malaysian doctors treated several simulated casualties during medical trauma lanes and a mass casualty exercise, before achieving U.S. Army Combat Lifesaver certification.

Malaysian and U.S. engineers teamed up as well to complete three Engineer Civic Action Projects, on and around Kem Desa Pahlawan. The projects included a gazebo for a local community school, a range tower at Bukit Merbau Shooting Range, and a squad hut for the 7th Squadron, Royal Engineer Regiment. The success of these projects reflects U.S. and Malaysia's ability to work together, should a humanitarian crisis occur.

"If natural disasters happen in Malaysia, we can work together, the U.S. in terms of assets, and Malaysia in terms of manpower," said Capt. Mohammad Masrur, 2nd Infantry Division, Engineer Civic Action Project officer in charge of the community school project.

As Soldiers prepare to leave Malaysia and head to Japan, to complete the final phase of the Pacific Pathways mission, they do so having gained and shared knowledge, expertise and most importantly lasting partnerships with their allied forces.