An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : Media : News : News Article View
NEWS | Aug. 24, 2017

Extending Strategic Interoperability

By Sgt. Frank Strumila

FORT SURASRI, Thailand -- Soldiers of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division paired with their Royal Thai Army counterparts during a bilateral staff exercise in support of Hanuman Guardian 2017.

The STAFFEX allowed officers and senior noncommissioned officers to work together to solve complex issues based off of a computer-generated scenario.

"The Staff Exercise is beneficial and directly related to the objectives of the overall mission of Hanuman Guardian, which is for the two countries to come together and exchange tactics and procedures," said STAFFEX director Pelle Rodahl, a U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) enabler working out of the Naval Postgraduate School.

The challenges that arise during the training allow both countries to develop a mutual understanding that permits the soldiers from both armies to come together and establish operating procedures that allow a better flow of information during a mission.

"The STAFFEX allows the commander and the staff on the battalion level to work together in this (hypothetical) situation that has been put together by the contractor," said RTA Major Kaewpech Thungpattanapunt. "This training makes both commanders from each side and the staffs work together and talk together to solve the problem together which results in the ability to accomplish the mission."

Focusing on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) contingencies and stability operations within the field of academics, computer training, and the military decision-making process, U.S. Soldiers participated in the training to improve readiness and overall interoperability with the Royal Thai Army.

"This (STAFFEX) enabled us to work closely with our RTA counterparts and jointly gain a shared understanding of both the U.S. and the RTA methods of exercising the military decision making process in a HA/DR simulated environment," said Capt. Benjamin Christian, an intelligence officer with the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. "We were able to combine both planning processes and achieve mutual understanding while accomplishing the mission and the exercise training objectives."

When polling many of the U.S. Soldiers on what the most difficult part of the STAFFEX was, it was apparent that the language barrier was a hurdle that was tough to ignore.

"The language barrier does provide a challenge for sure, but the good thing with that is that if you operate in a multinational environment, you will always have persons who are not fluent in English," said Rodahl. "So it is a challenge, but it also, at the same time, is a good learning objective; it teaches how to operate within a country that is not fluent in English and how to operate through interpreters. That is all a part of the learning, the training, and being able to adapt and be patient in order to make sure that you're moving ahead as one combined unit."
CONNECT WITH USINDOPACOM

ENGAGE & CONNECT MORE WITH PACOM

                                      

IN THE USINDOPACOM NEWS
Readout of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's Call With Republic of Korea Acting Minister of National Defense Kim Seon-ho
Readout graphic
Jan. 31, 2025 - Department of Defense Spokesman John Ullyot provided the following readout:...

Readout of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's Call With Japanese Minister of Defense Nakatani Gen
Readout graphic
Jan. 31, 2025 - Department of Defense Spokesman John Ullyot provided the following readout:...

Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group Departs Thailand
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) arrives at Port Laem Chabang, Thailand, Jan. 27, 2025. The visit demonstrates the continuation of a long-standing partnership among allied countries rooted in close people-to-people, economic and security ties. Vinson, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group ONE, is currently pier-side in Laem Chabang, Thailand, for a scheduled port visit. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kenneth Ostas)
Jan. 31, 2025 - The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group departed Laem Chabang, Thailand, Jan. 31, after conducting a scheduled five-day port visit...

U.S. Pacific Fleet Navy Reserve Public Affairs Summit: Training to be the Strategic Advantage and Enabling Effective Communication in the Indo-Pacific Region
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (Jan. 10, 2025) Adm. Steve Koehler, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, center, met with Sailors from several Navy Reserve public affairs units that support the command during a public affairs summit at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, on Jan. 10. Koehler discussed the vital role public affairs and the information environment play in denying, defending and dominating adversaries in the U.S. Pacific Fleet area of operations.
Jan. 30, 2025 - Forty Sailors from six Navy public affairs reserve units supporting Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMPACFLT) attended a reserve public affairs summit Jan. 9 to 11, 2025, focused on rapidly developing and sustaining their...

Defend the base: 51st SFS and Army integrate during BH 25-2
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Joseph Hopkins, 51st Security Forces Squadron member, patrols during Beverly Herd 25-2 at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Jan. 27, 2025. Beverly Herd is an annual 51st Fighter Wing readiness exercise. During the exercise, 51st SFS Airmen are primarily responsible for defending the base, allowing the wing to generate combat airpower. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Clayton Lenhardt)
Jan. 29, 2025 - Airmen from the 51st Security Forces Squadron trained alongside soldiers from the U.S. Army Correctional Facility-Korea, 94th Military Police Battalion during Beverly Herd 25-2 at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea Jan. 27,...