USS Blue Ridge Visits Jakarta

The United States 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) and Vice Admiral Scott H. Swift, commander, United States 7th Fleet, arrived on June 14 for a visit to Jakarta. Vice Admiral Swift met with US Ambassador Scot Marciel and with the Chief of Indonesian Navy Admiral Marsetio and hosted a reception aboard the Bule Ridge.

The USS Blue Ridge and embarked 7th Fleet staff are visiting Jakarta is support of building maritime partnerships with the Indonesian Navy and conducting security and stability operations.

While in port, the U.S. 7th Fleet Pacific Navy Band performed at @america in Pacific Place Mall, and the command soccer and volleyball teams played friendly matches against their Indonesian navy counterparts.

For 33 years, the USS Blue Ridge has maintained a presence in the Pacific, strengthening allied ties through community service projects and conducting joint military exercises with regional nations.

Source: The US Embassy in Jakarta – Indonesia

US Ambassador joins opening of US – Indonesia military exercise

The US Ambassador Scot Marciel joined Maj. Gen. Gary Hara, Deputy Commander for the Army National Guard, U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) and Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI) Maj. Gen. Daniel Ambat, Kostrad Division 1 Commander, for the opening of the Garuda Shield exercise (GS) in Cilodong, Indonesia on June 10.

Garuda Shield is an annual Army-to-Army interoperability exercise. It is focused on building stronger relationships, sharing techniques, tactics and procedures, and building operational familiarity.

The exercise consists of four parts including a combined tactical operations center and staff process, computer planning exercise, intensive field exercise portion, and a combined airborne operation with the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. This is the 7th iteration of the Garuda Shield exercise which is scheduled to conclude on June 21 at Kostrad Division 1 Headquarters.

The Garuda Shield exercise is the centerpiece of a series of exercises that are building greater cooperation under the U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership. This year’s Garuda Shield is the 7th iteration of the exercise and represents the largest and most complex bilateral event ever conducted between the United States and Indonesian Armies.

United States forces also participated Gema Bhakti combined Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief staff exercise at the International Peace and Security Center in Sentul, Indonesia from June 6-10. The Gema Bhakti exercise brought together forces from U.S. Army Pacific Command, U.S. Navy and Air Force to work side-by-side personnel from the TNI to create response planning to assist Indonesia in responding more efficiently to a natural disaster.

Experts in various disaster relief fields discussed issues, emergency responders and support services, face during an emergency and provided insights which allowed roughly 100 participants from both militaries to brain storm ideas to support national and strategic level decision making processes.

As a further compliment to the Garuda Shield and Gema Bhakti exercises, Indonesia and the United States also conducted a Disaster Response Exercise & Exchange entitled Pacific Resilience. Pacific Resilience, held from June 3-6 at the Indonesia Peace & Security Center in Sentul brought together USARPAC, TNI, Indonesian disaster response agencies, and U.S. agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). During the course of the exercise, over 150 participants gathered to focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The exercise was designed to simulate the response to an earthquake and tsunami impacting the area of Padang in western Sumatra.

Source: The US Embassy in Jakarta – Indonesia

The US Ambassador inquires about security situation in Papua

United States ambassador Scot Marciel sought information about the security situation in Papua during a visit to the regional military command headquarters here on Monday, according to command spokesman Lt Col Jansen Simanjuntak.

“During his recent visit to the Cenderawasih military regional command headquarters, Mr Marciel asked the command`s chief of staff, Brigadier General I Made Agra Sudiantara, about the security situation in Papua,” Lt Col Jansen stated.

In response, Brig. Gen. I Mada Agra Sudiantara said the situation in Papua was “peaceful” and security problems were handled by the police, with the military ready to assist upon request – in line with Law No. 34/2004 on TNI (military).

“The law is implemented using `soft power` through territorial supervision, while efforts are being made to accelerate economic development, including improving human resources, in the inland regions so Papua can catch up with other provinces,” he explained.

“The command`s chief of staff stated that the presence of TNI forces in Papua is in line with the legal mandate, while maintaining security is the job of the police,” Brig. Gen. Sudiantara said.

During his short visit, Marciel also expressed the US government`s support for Indonesia as a sovereign country.

“The US government is also proud of the current developments in the country, especially the changes that have happened in the TNI over the past 15 years,” Brig. Gen. Sudiantara pointed out.

“He also called for increased cooperation between the two countries in education, culture and military,” he added.

Source: ANTARA News

U.S. Ambassador Scot Marciel Visits Papua

The U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Scot Marciel

U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Scot Marciel visits Jayapura on November 5-6 to meet with government officials and community leaders.

Ambassador Marciel’s visit to Papua highlights the United States’ commitment to working across Indonesia to support increased cooperation under the U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership. The United States sees Papua as an integral part of Indonesia and supports progress toward increased economic opportunity and development of local political and civil institutions.

During the visit, the Ambassador will highlight new and existing U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programs that support growth and development for the people of Papua. These programs expand on the U.S. government’s continuing commitment to support development in the region.

Ambassador Marciel met with the Head of Department of Education, Youth and Sport Affairs for Papua, Dr. James Modouw, to discuss the roll out of a new education curriculum for more than 32,000 students in 355 schools across 6 districts.

“A Papua specific curriculum will help inspire Papuan children to learn and will also reflect the profound respect we have for Papua’s rich culture,” said Ambassador Marciel.

The $2.8 million grant from the United States will help the provincial Department of Education to refine, print and distribute the new curriculum, as well as conduct training for teachers.

Under the USAID SERASI program, USAID partners with Yayasan Kristen Wamena Teacher Training Institute to develop curricula in Math and Bahasa Indonesia for first and second graders that are adapted to local culture and meet or surpass national standards.

The Provincial Government of Papua will use the Papua-specific curriculum in remote areas, particularly the broader highland area. Five highland districts and other organizations that work in non-formal or parallel education system will adopt the curriculum.

During his meetings in Papua Ambassador Marciel also discussed other U.S. assistance initiatives in health, environment, economic development, and governance.

The United States is providing $1.5 million in support through a new USAID program that will reduce deforestation, preserve biodiversity, and increase income for Papuans by promoting sustainable management of the Cyclops mountain range.

Ambassador Marciel said, “The United States is proud to partner with the Papua Provincial Government Low Carbon Development Taskforce and local governments and communities to reduce deforestation in the Cyclops mountain range and preserve it for future generations.”

The USAID program will partner with local governments, businesses, and communities to promote renewable biomass energy as an alternative to cutting down trees to be converted to charcoal. The program will be including plant trees and rehabilitate areas that are essential to the health of the Cyclops mountain range and provide water supply for the city of Jayapura.

In addition, the program will convene forums in local communities to educate citizens, local governments, the private sector, and NGOs on strategies to improve the management of natural resources.

The USAID program in the Cyclops Mountains will help Papua fulfill its commitment and contribute to REDD+, a global initiative to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

USAID is also working with local governments in Papua to finalize a new health governance program to support improvements in the quality of public health service in several districts.

The program plans to target improving service delivery in the areas of maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis. This initiative will utilize the lessons from successful USAID efforts in other Indonesian provinces that have improved the quality, effectiveness, and reliability of public services.

Source: Tempointeraktif