An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
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 | Sept. 22, 2021

Hawaii National Guard, Indonesia Strengthen Relationship in Training

By Master Sgt. Andrew Jackson Hawaii National Guard

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- A team of military planners from the Hawaii National Guard kicked off an operational design workshop with the Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI) in Jakarta, Indonesia, on September 16. The workshop is the precursor for Exercise GEMA BHAKTI, a peace operation and humanitarian assistance exercise, which will commence on September 21.

The Hawaii National Guard (HING) facilitates the workshop as a part of the State Partnership Program (SPP). This year is the first face-to-face SPP exchange between the TNI and HING since late 2019 due to the COVID Pandemic. USINDOPACOM service components are also participating.

“The Hawaii National Guard has an ongoing relationship with the TNI,” said Lt. Col. David Hosea, HING Military planner. “Building this relationship, sharing experiences, and training alongside our partners helps maintain security and stability in the Pacific.”

The Hawaii National Guard is state partners with Indonesia and regularly held combined exercises and events to increase the depth of that relationship before the pandemic. This is the fourth year Hawaii and Indonesia have participated in an operational design seminar. The 2020 edition was executed virtually.

Operational design is a process where a committee of military members examines complex problems to help define variables, goals, tension points, and the desired end-state to aid in planning and executing military or governmental action. The process is a key first step in military planning that requires committees of personnel from diverse backgrounds to understand complex social, political problems and make recommendations on the desired end-state or develop an operational approach. Once the scenario is framed, analyzed, and debated, then lines of effort are proposed. The lines of effort define the actions needed to move a situation from the current state to the desired state, and once agreed upon, this will trigger Exercise GEMA BHAKTI.

“Operational design takes complex situations and breaks them down in easy, manageable steps in the military planning process,” said Lt. Col. Brandon Torres, Hawaii Army National Guard military intelligence officer. “This is important because in our current operating environment, things are not as simple as they used to be. This step must be done right. We need to think through the problems and get to a solution. This process helps us to define what the true nature of the problem is so we can plan a response.”

The operational design workshop’s secondary goal is to establish relationships between the Hawaii National Guard members and their Indonesian counterparts. During the four-day exercise, the full spectrum of team building is experienced, from storming to conforming. The added Covid-19 protocols had little diminishing effect on the overall training.

The Hawaii National Guard brought a diverse team for this year’s workshop to help foster a deeper level of discussions and exposure for the staff. A hallmark of this type of military engagement is professionally spirited conversations as each member shares their knowledge, experience and opinions on the different aspects of the scenario. They work as a team to come to a common understanding.

As the teams worked to frame the problem, their relationships began to mesh, and new facets of the scenario came to light. The entire group would pause throughout each day, and each team would present their products - further shedding light on different variables and possible ways forward.

“I have learned a lot during this staff exercise,” said Maj. Raja Sitanggang, Tentara Nasional Indonesia staff officer. “As a peacekeeping officer, I help guide the planning process as we transition from peace enforcement to peacekeeping inside this year’s exercise scenario. This exercise requires us to think critically and creatively because there is no easy established answer. The Hawaii National Guard is very professional and selected diverse officers to represent them in this program. It is impressive.”

While the covid protocols, mandatory mask wear, temperature checks, and periodic room sanitization had little effect on the actual execution of the workshop, getting the military staff in one room for the first time in 18 months required many more steps than usual. Every Hawaii and U.S. delegation member was required to be fully vaccinated and were tested multiple times before leaving for Indonesia. They adhered to the quarantine of 7-day and were tested an additional two times before the workshop started. The TNI members were also quarantined before the start of the exercise.
CONNECT WITH USINDOPACOM
Facebook

Like Us
X
363,189
Follow Us

ENGAGE & CONNECT MORE WITH PACOM

                                                 

IN THE USINDOPACOM NEWS
DIU Partners With AUKUS Pillar II for International Prize Challenge
Graphic intended for use as a placeholder for Statements and Press Releases without accompanying imagery.
March 26, 2024 - The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is launching the first trilateral prize challenge through AUKUS Pillar II— a defense and security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (U.S.)— to...

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Andrew Winternitz Concludes Trip to Japan for Pacific Islands Defense Dialogue
Graphic intended for use as a placeholder for Statements and Press Releases without accompanying imagery.
March 26, 2024 - Department of Defense spokesperson Lt. Col. Martin Meiners provided the following readout...

Marines, Sailors Participate in Holi Festival and Community Events at Tiger TRIUMPH
U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Maxwell Gallahan, center left, a platoon commander assigned to Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team 1/5, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, participate in musical chairs at a community relations event during Exercise Tiger TRIUMPH in Visakhapatnam, India, March 22, 2024. Tiger TRIUMPH is a U.S.-India tri-service amphibious exercise focused on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief readiness and interoperability. Tiger TRIUMPH enables U.S. and Indian Armed Forces to improve interoperability and bilateral, joint, and service readiness in the Indian Ocean region and beyond to better achieve mutual regional security objectives. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by 1st Lt. Robert Nanna)
March 26, 2024 - Marines and Sailors of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit embraced India's culture during celebrations, athletic exchanges, and community relations engagements as they participate in Exercise Tiger TRIUMPH 2024...

Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With Minister of National Defence Judith Collins of New Zealand
Graphic intended for use as a placeholder for Statements and Press Releases without accompanying imagery.
March 25, 2024 - Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Ryder provided the following readout...

First of its kind deployment of Marine cyber forces to the INDO-PACOM Theater
Marines with Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command pose for photos in the cyber operations center at Lasswell Hall aboard Fort Meade, Maryland, Feb. 5, 2020. MARFORCYBER Marines conduct offensive and defensive cyber operations in support of United States Cyber Command and operate, secure and defend the Marine Corps Enterprise Network. This image is a photo illustration.
March 25, 2024 - Marines assigned to U.S. Marine Corps Forces Cyber Command deployed to Okinawa, Japan as part of the inaugural iteration of a new cyber rotational force concept...