The Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI), U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), and service members from partner nations are participating in Exercise Garuda Canti Dharma 2022 (GCD22) at the Indonesia Peace and Security Center (Pusat Misi Pemeliharaan Perdamaian, PMPP), from July 18 through July 31, 2022. The compound is Southeast Asia’s largest international training facility. The multinational exercise is the largest annual international peacekeeping field training exercise in the world designed to promote global peace and security. Approximately 70 U.S. and 420 TNI personnel are participating, along with approximately 350 personnel from other nations. It is co-sponsored by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and Indonesian Armed Forces and hosted rotationally between the two countries.
At the opening event on July 18, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Kyle Richardson expressed appreciation to the Government of Indonesia, the Indonesia National Defense Forces, and the Indonesian Peacekeeping Training Centre for hosting this year’s exercise, and thanked attendees.
“For the peacekeepers and peacekeeper trainers that have traveled from five continents, representing twenty-two countries, I thank you and your governments for your efforts to be here as we emerge from the global pandemic“This exercise will better prepare peacekeepers for upcoming UN deployments and better prepare you to train your fellow peacekeepers,” said A/DCM Richardson.
The PMPP compound was constructed by the Defense Ministry in 2010, consisting of seven offices and training centers operated by the Indonesian Armed Force, the Indonesian National Police and the Indonesian National Counterterrorism Agency. The 262-hectare compound also consists of comprehensive sports facilities and a language-training center. Aside from a 600-meter shooting range, the compound is also equipped with simulated villages that resemble those of Congo and Lebanon countries where Indonesian peacekeeping personnel will be deployed. The training center also provide soldiers and police with the skills to handle terrorist-linked hijacks. For that, the agency has provided a mock-up of a passenger aircraft, a train, a ship and a hotel. The compound was partly funded by the US and Australia. The US helped to construct the military barracks, while Australia established the language center.
Garuda Canti Dharma 2022 consists of a UN peacekeeping operations staff training event, a field training event, and a critical enabler capability enhancement event at the PMPP, all of which will focus on UN and international peacekeeping and stability operations. This year, the TNI invited military personnel from Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Fiji, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam to participate. During the exercise, Indonesian, U.S., and other partner nation forces will work to enhance interoperability and mission effectiveness in common tactics, techniques, and procedures in accordance with UN doctrine with the objective of improving UN peacekeeping troop performance and regional peace operations.
