U.S. Marines and the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces begin Royal Preah Khan Jan. 12 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Royal Preah Khan is a simulated humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise focused on enhancing response capabilities through staff training, crisis action planning, a command post exercise and enhancing RCAF and Marine cooperation.

U.S. Marines participating in Royal Preah Khan are with Headquarters Regiment, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force. The RCAF service members are from multiple units, including the Royal Gendarmerie.

“In this scenario, we are exercising the capabilities of the Gendarmerie and ourselves to support a disaster in this region,” said U.S. Marine Col. Edmund J. Bowen, the Deputy Commander of the Combined Task Force – Cambodia for the exercise. “During any type of humanitarian assistance or disaster response, it’s important that we understand our capabilities.”

Because III MEF Marines are among the first responders to crises in the Pacific, building a strong relationship with the RCAF could save additional lives in the future, according to U.S. Marine Cpl. Jonathan Cabrera, the non-commissioned officer of command and control during the exercise.

“Royal Preah Khan is important because [it allows us to] expand our relationship with the Royal Cambodian Gendarmerie,” said Cabrera, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “This will help us, and them, be prepared for a humanitarian aid and direct support mission that could happen.”

The exercise provides a great experience and helps the Royal Cambodian Gendarmerie and U.S. Marines learn about how each other work, according to Royal Cambodian Gendarmerie Warrant Officer Na Nie, a member of the Gendarmerie.

“Every time the Marines have come, I have put my name on the list to work with them,” said Nie, from Battambang Province, Cambodia. “I like working with and experiencing how the Marines operate.”

Royal Preah Khan is an expanding exercise, according to Bowen, from Staten Island, New York. Last year a Lt. Col. was the officer in charge for the Gendarmerie, but this year a Brig. Gen. is participating and will provide even more knowledge and experience that could help expand it in future iterations.

“This exercise is growing and I would like to see a practical application in the field sometime in the future,” said Bowen