Garuda Shield 2011

BOGOR, Indonesia – Brig. Gen. Michele G. Compton, the commanding general of the 9th Mission Support Command, and Brig. Gen. Mulyono, the training director for the Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI-Indonesian Armed Forces) Training and Doctrine Command, march to the podium during the opening ceremony of Exercise Garuda Shield, June 10.




BOGOR, Indonesia – Members of the Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI-Indonesian Armed Forces) band participate in the opening ceremony of Exercise Garuda Shield, June 10, at the Engineer Training Center of Army Education and Training Command, Pusdikzi.


BOGOR, Indonesia – U.S. and Indonesian Soldiers stand side by side during the opening ceremony of Exercise Garuda Shield, June 10, at the Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI-Indonesian Armed Forces) Engineer Training Center of Army Education and Training Command, Pusdikzi. Sponsored by U.S. Army, Pacific and hosted by the Indonesian Armed Forces, Exercise Garuda Shield is the latest in a continuing series of rigorous, multi-faceted exercises designed to promote regional peace and security.



BOGOR, Indonesia – Maj. Cosmas Danga, current operations officer for Exercise Garuda Shield, explains to Lt. Gen. Marciano Norman, the commander of the Tentara Nasional Indonesia Training and Doctrine Command, a new approach to combined operations processes developed during Exercise Garuda Shield, June 14, at Tentara Nasional Indonesia Engineer Training Center of Army Education and Training Command, Pusdikzi.




BOGOR, Indonesia – U.S. Army Sgt. Jacob Rainwater, an instructor for the Asia Pacific Counter Improvised Explosive Device Fusion Center, simulates the detention of Indonesian Armed Forces Sgt. Yoyon Putra, as part of C-IED training during Exercise Garuda Shield, June 14. Techniques for conducting personnel searches are part of the rigorous, two-week training Indonesian Soldiers are participating in during the exercise.





BOGOR, Indonesia – Master Pvt. Irfan Santika and 1st Pvt. Arif Susilo, both members of the Indonesian Army, check a vehicle for potential security threats during counter improvised explosive device training as part of Garuda Shield, June 14. C-IED training is the focus of the FTX portion of Garuda Shield, an annual, bilateral exercise designed to strengthen relations between the U.S. and Indonesian Armed Forces.


BOGOR, Indonesia – Indonesian Soldiers conduct an area search as part of their counter improvised explosive devices training, the focus of the field training exercise during Exercise Garuda Shield, June 14.


BOGOR, Indonesia – U.S. Army Sgt. James Williams, a field training exercise instructor from the 15th Explosive Hazard Team at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, explains the process of how to react when encountering an improvised explosive device to Indonesian Soldiers, as part of Garuda Shield, June 14.


BOGOR, Indonesia – An Indonesian Armed Forces private provides security for his fellow Soldiers while they identify a potential threat as part of counter improvised explosive device training, the focus of the field training exercise during Exercise Garuda Shield, June 14.




Kaskus








US Soldiers share tactical knowledge with Indonesian Armed Forces


BOGOR, Indonesia -- Improvised explosive devices are one of the most dangerous weapons Soldiers encounter during missions around the globe. Seasoned U.S. Soldiers are teaching Indonesian Soldiers to face that danger on their own terms, June 13.

Counter IED training is the primary focus of the field training exercise portion of Garuda Shield, an annual, U.S. Army, Pacific, bilateral exercise that actively promotes regional stability and security operations while further strengthening relations between U.S. and Indonesia Armed Forces.

Leading the FTX effort is USARPAC’s Asia Pacific C-IED Fusion Center, a unit that provides training programs and intelligence products to enhance survivability for service members from the U.S. and partner nations.

This is the first year the two-week, C-IED training has been incorporated into Exercise Garuda Shield, directly contributing to the tactical capacity of the more than 200 Indonesian participants.

According the Sgt. Maj. Cy Ross, FTX officer in charge and sergeant major of the Asia Pacific Counter IED Fusion Center, the FTX is designed to enable Soldiers to identify and defeat IEDs.

“We want them to learn to be proactive when encountering IEDs. Having that skill will inevitably save their lives,” said Ross.

Of the Indonesian Soldiers being trained, nearly half are from the 502nd Airborne Infantry Battalion, a unit that’s scheduled to deploy to Lebanon in support of United Nations peacekeeping missions.

“Some of these Soldiers have never had this type of training before,” said Ross. “That’s why it’s so important; it prepares them for the upcoming mission and gives them the confidence to react when necessary.”

For the Indonesian Soldiers, the training is invaluable.

“This training is a positive experience for our Soldiers,” said 2nd Lt. Hendis Asies, platoon commander, 328th Airborne Infantry Battalion, Indonesian Armed Forces. “We are learning about personnel, vehicle and area searches -- knowledge we need to prepare for our mission in Lebanon.”

During the first week of training, the U.S. Soldiers instructed platoon and squad leaders of the Indonesian Armed Forces in a classroom environment.

This train-the-trainer technique allows the Indonesian leaders to train their own Soldiers on the lessons learned in the subsequent week of training.

“We basically give them the tools and information to move forward, and let them impart that knowledge to their troops,” said Sgt. James Williams, a FTX instructor from the 15th Explosive Hazard Team at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Williams, an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran with extensive experience in route clearance, explained the Indonesian service members came to the exercise with a great foundation for the training, but his team is able to show them extra techniques to further increase their combat capabilities.

“We are teaching them in gradual steps,” said Ross. “Each step gets harder and harder so they are able to identify and react to potential threats more quickly. Each day these guys are getting better and better.”




Global Security