U.S. and Chinese troops connect in first-ever exchange at JBLM

[lostinblue 1,989]

U.S. and Chinese troops connect in first-ever exchange at JBLM

80 soldiers from Chinas Peoples Liberation Army are visiting Joint Base Lewis-McChord

Its the first time Chinese troops have been invited to train in the continental United States

Troops are all smiles, but mindful of revealing too much

Army medic Sgt. Leslie Peterson hesitated to answer when a medic from the Chinese military asked a basic question about how Peterson would care for a soldier badly wounded in battle.

Can I answer that? Peterson asked a higher-ranking U.S. soldier.

Chinese and U.S. military personnel practice Friday in a cramped space that simulates the extraction of an injured person from a collapsed building. The exercise was part of the 11th Disaster Management Exchange between the U.S military and the Peoples Liberation Army of China at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Peterson was given a blessing to respond. Then she continued her demonstration that won applause from a couple dozen visitors at Joint Base Lewis-McChord on Friday.

She was a hit with this contingent from Chinas Peoples Liberation Army. But her hesitation underscored the newness of an unusual military exchange at JBLM thats connecting soldiers from two armies usually characterized as rivals.

The exchange this week brought about 80 soldiers from the Peoples Liberation Army to a military base in the continental U.S. for the first time. It marked a progression in an 11-year sequence of formal exchanges between the two armies focused on preparing for natural disasters.

Leaders from both countries view disaster preparation as an area where they can cooperate and build trust, possibly reducing the likelihood of an armed conflict in East Asia.

Any time you continue to have partnership, you continue to communicate, you continue to train together, thats what contributes to de-escalation, said Lt. Gen. Stephen Lanza, commander JBLMs I Corps.

Maj. Gen. Zhang Jian, the highest-ranking Chinese officer participating in the exchange, gave a similar perspective.

This exercise will help the two sides so we can jointly maintain peace and stability, he said.

This weeks exchange asked senior-ranking soldiers from both countries to play out how they might respond to a serious earthquake on a fictional Pacific island. Ground-level soldiers participated in exercises where they demonstrated search-and-rescue techniques.

In the past, the U.S. and China have responded separately to extreme natural disasters, such as the earthquake in Nepal earlier this year.

With practice, the U.S. and the (Peoples Republic of China) can enhance collaboration so we can bring a more timely response in a humanitarian disaster, said Maj. Gen. Edward Dorman, commander of the Armys Hawaii-based 8th Theater Sustainment Command.

Its going to create a great platform for the U.S. Army and the Peoples Liberation Army.

Lt. Wen of Chinas PLA

Out in the field, ground-level soldiers from both countries appeared to enjoy themselves. They showed off tools they use to extract people from damaged buildings and shared methods of treating the injured.

We should get one of these, a search-and-rescue airman from the Washington Air National Guard proclaimed as he watched a Chinese soldier wield a saw that made cutting rebar look easy.

In the medics tent, Peterson, 31, said her exchange with Chinese soldiers was one of the most rewarding experiences in her 12-year Army career. She talked to them about how she cared for injured civilians in the Iraq War, and how she respected cultural differences with the people she helped.

Its their lives that are on your mind when you treat the patients, she said.

One of her JBLM teammates, Spc. William Soyster, 24, said the exchange left him feeling hopeful.

With all the craziness in the world, its nice to be working with the Chinese army, Soyster said. Its a reminder that were all in this together. Were all human.

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/military/article45700044.html#storylink=cpy

Edited November 22, 2015 by lostinblue

[Darnell 8,479]

Grrrrrr....

There's a huge police academy at my school, and we just signed an agreement for 6000 exchange students from some prc school over a 4 semester duration. I'm not happy about it...