Thousands of Soldiers from the U.S., Indonesian, and Royal Thai armies trained tirelessly together during the month of October in the harsh, grueling environment of the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, Louisiana. The training was designed to enhance the interoperability and readiness of soldiers to improve their combat effectiveness in the event they are called upon to defend regional security. The FORSCOM commander said the JRTC could see more partner nation training in the future.
“We’re never going to fight alone. which is a foundation of relationships — must be worked at and built up, and is why training with partner nations is important.Having the Indonesian Company and the Thai Company participate in this rotation with their brothers and sisters in the 25th ID is absolutely the way we’re going to fight in the future and if you’re going to fight that way, you’ve got to train that way ” Gen. Michael X. Garrett, commander, U.S. Forces Command said.
“Senior military leaders for several years now have been vocal in that the United States will never go to war by itself again,” said Maj. Gen. James Jarrard, commander, 25th Infantry Division. “When we go to war, we will need allies and partners. For us to be good, we have to train with them now. Any ties that can be developed now will benefit each army if called upon to go to war. That’s why it is critically important for us to not only forge bonds at the tactical level, but also at the operational level to make sure we understand how the other works/ While this is the first trip for the Indonesians to JRTC, the Royal Thai Army came with us last year.” Jarrard said.
Fort Polk is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, approximately ten miles (15 km) east of Leesville, Louisiana, and thirty miles (50 km) north of DeRidder in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana. Fort Polk is now home to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC).The Joint Readiness Training Center is focused on improving unit readiness by providing highly realistic, stressful, joint and combined arms training across the full spectrum of conflict. The JRTC is one of the Army’s three “Dirt” Combat Training Centers resourced to train infantry brigade task forces and their subordinate elements in the Joint Contemporary Operational Environment.
