Indian, US troops hold joint exercise on rescuing civilians

WASHINGTON: Can Indian and American troops join hands to carry out a successful peacekeeping mission in a third country to rescue innocent civilians, whose lives are threatened either by their own regime or armed opposition?

This is precisely what the armed forces from India and the United States are currently doing in North Carolina as part of their annual ' Yudh Abhyas', a Hindi term which literally means "training for war".

"This is the largest of events that has happened here," Lt Col Phil Sounia, Commander, 3rd Squadron 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, told PTI in an interview.

Nearly 200 Indian armed forces personnel from the 5th Gurkha Rifles are here to attend the military exercise, while there are more than 400 from the host nation.

"It is building relationship," Sounia said. So that the two countries are ready when required to perform such a duty, he added.

"We want to build the trust necessary for such kind of operations," he said.

Sharing their respective experiences, the two armies - for this exercise - are evolving a joint plan for an imaginary United Nations operation in a fictional area for a UN peacekeeping mission.

While the Indian Army is enriched by its experience in militancy hit Jammu & Kashmir and the various UN peacekeeping operations, and American troops are enriched by their experience in war-torn Afghanistan and Iraq.