Angkor Sentinel 10 Opens in Phnom Penh

July 12, 2010: Phnom Penh

Angkor Sentinel 10, the first large scale multilateral peacekeeping exercise in Cambodia, co-hosted with the United States, will be held July 12-30 near Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The Royal Cambodia Armed Forces (RCAF) and the U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) will participate in the multinational exercise.  The Global Peacekeeping Operations Initiative (GPOI) is co-sponsored by RCAF and the U.S. Pacific Command.

Angkor Sentinel 10 focuses on developing participating nations’ contributions to United Nations peacekeeping efforts. The training emphasizes multinational peacekeeping challenges such as insurgency, terrorism, crime and ethnic conflict. The exercise strengthens readiness and interoperability for each nation to succeed in overcoming these challenges.

The training exercise is the latest in a continuing series of regional GPOI exercises designed to promote peacekeeping capabilities within Cambodia and among regional partners. It also supports the institutional reform of the RCAF and promotes Cambodia’s participation in multilateral and regional events.

Training focuses on peacekeeping operations and UN recognition. Events include a multilateral UN force headquarters computer-simulated command post exercise which opened today at the Phnom Penh Hotel, a field training exercise, and a humanitarian and civic assistance project.

The field training exercise consists of lane training in checkpoint operations, patrolling, securing a distribution site, convoy operations, conducting a cordon and search, and securing a disarmament area.

In addition to U.S. forces and the RCAF, several other nations have been invited by the RCAF to participate in and observe the exercise.

Media interested in covering AS 10 should contact Betsy Weiner, USARPAC media relations officer, at betsy.weiner@us.army.mil, 808 438-6347 or John Johnson, U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh, at johnsonje@state.gov.