Here's how you know
 **Official websites use .mil** .mil
 **Secure .mil websites use HTTPS** lock () https://


Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 Toggle navigation
            
            
            
            
            National Guard
                        Always Ready Always There
                    National Guard
            
            Search National Guard:
                        Search
                    Search
                        Search National Guard:
                            Search
    Home

    News
    
        Guard News

    Overseas Operations

    State Partnership Program

    News Features

    RSS Feeds

    Press Releases

    Transcripts

    Features
    
        Features by Year

    Posture Statement

    State Partnership Program

    Special Features

    About the Guard
    
        How We Began

    Air National Guard

    Army National Guard    
    
        DEERS Soldier Journey

    Leader Development Program

    History and Heritage

    I am the Guard

    NGB Official March

    Leadership
    
        CNGB

    VCNGB

    SEA

    DANG

    DARNG

    Joint Staff    
    
        J-1

    J-2

    J-3

    J-4

    J-5

    J-6

    J-7

    J-8

    Personal Staff    
    
        Inspector General

    General Counsel    
    
        Special Victims Counsel

    Public Affairs

    Executive Support Services

    Legislative Liaison

    Special Staff    
    
        Office of the Provost Marshal

    Office of the Joint Surgeon

    Director of Acquisitions

    Small Business Programs

    Chaplain

    Senior Leader Management Office

    Diversity Equity Inclusion

    Comptroller

    Resources    
        National Defense Strategy Implementation Guidance

    Community Engagement

    FOIA

    Fact Sheets

    Helpful Links

    Image Gallery
    
        News Images

    Graphics

    Historical Paintings

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    Legislative Liaison

    Small Business Programs

    Social Media

    State Websites

    Videos    
    
        Featured Videos

    On Every Front

    2019 Videos

    2020 Videos

    2021 Videos

    Suicide Prevention

    Family Programs

    Environmental

    Trial Defense Service

    Holistic Wellness Challenge

    Contact Us  Home
  News
  Overseas Operations
 
 Download
 Details
 Share
 NEWS
 California National Guard Soldiers complete two weeks of training with Indian counterparts By Capt. Jason Sweeney
                California National Guard
 CHAUBATTIA CANTONMENT, India - Soldiers from the world’s two largest democracies completed a two-week training exercise on Sept. 30 in the foothills of the Himalayas. The exercise, called Yudh Abhyas 2014, successfully integrated Soldiers from the U.S. and Indian armies into a single brigade for a U.N. peacekeeping operation in a fictional African nation in crisis. At the closing ceremony at Chaubattia Cantonment in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, California Army National Guard Commander Maj. Gen. Lawrence Haskins addressed a mixed formation of U.S. Army and Indian Army troops. “Yudh Abhyas 2014 has enhanced our readiness and effectiveness as Soldiers, as well as increased the interoperability between our two armies,” Haskins said. “This exercise should be seen as the foundation for increased exchanges between our two armies and our nations.” Exercise Yudh Abhyas started out in 2004 as a small field training exercise between the U.S. Army Pacific Command and the Indian Army. Since then, it has expanded from platoon-level operations to battalion- and brigade-level. The California National Guard began participating in Yudh Abhyas in 2008 and has been a fixture in the exercise ever since. While Yudh Abhyas means training for war in Hindi, the exercise has focused on interoperability between the U.S. and Indian armies for peacekeeping missions. India has been a major contributor in U.N. peacekeeping operations for more than half a century, sending its Soldiers everywhere from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Haiti, Lebanon and several other nations that have experienced crises. About 190 U.S. Soldiers hailing from the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division; 3rd Battalion, 1st Group, U.S. Army Special Forces; and the California Army National Guard took part in Yudh Abhyas 2014. U.S. Soldiers trained side by side with troops from India’s 99th Mountain Brigade out in the field and in a command post exercise that simulated operations for a deployed United Nations Force Headquarters. Twelve Cal Guard Soldiers played the role of U.N. Force Headquarters in the command post portion of the exercise. Cal Guard Lt. Col. Kenneth Koop was the coordinator who pulled together the Cal Guard team for Yudh Abhyas 2014. He also played the role of the U.N. Police Commissioner for the exercise. “The Cal Guard brings a lot of different things to the exercise, probably the biggest being flexibility,” he said. “We have the ability to reach down and pull out individual Soldiers for specialized skills and capabilities. This is a U.N. peacekeeping exercise and the U.S. Army’s peacekeeping experience resides in the National Guard right now.” Several members of the Cal Guard team participating in Yudh Abhyas 2014 have deployed to Kosovo where the Cal Guard has been part of the peacekeeping mission since 1999. The Cal Guard has also sent Soldiers to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula as part of the Multinational Force and Observers mission. It has done a lot of low intensity conflict, counter-insurgency-type missions that are relevant to peacekeeping, such as sending combat adviser teams around the world and taking part in various mentoring programs with Iraqi and Afghan forces, Koop said. Lt. Col. Daniel Rydberg, who deployed twice to Kosovo, played the role of a civil affairs officer for Yudh Abhyas 2014. He said not only does the Cal Guard bring its peacekeeping experience in Kosovo to Yudh Abhyas, it also brings the civilian experience of being citizen Soldiers. “The National Guard has people who bring their civilian skill sets,” he said. “In my case, I work for a city, so I deal with government and neighborhood councils on a daily basis. That’s something you’re not going to get necessarily on active duty so I think you can bring those civilian skills to the operation.” Retired Cal Guard Soldier Scott Moreland works for the Center for Civil-Military Relations at the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California, where he serves as deputy program manager for exercises. Moreland said the California National Guard has been an important piece of Yudh Abhyas for the past six years. “I would say there are professional, cultural and personal values that are unique to the California Guard package,” Moreland said. He said the depth of peacekeeping experience that California Guard Soldiers have, especially from the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, adds to their value. “Peacekeeping is a rare skill found in the U.S. Army so to have that background really puts the California Guardsmen more on a par with their Indian counterparts and sets them up well to understand the principles and mechanisms under which we do peacekeeping operations.” Moreland said the California National Guard’s diversity is also an advantage. “On the multicultural side, almost every year that we’ve had this exercise, the Cal Guard has tapped into its Indian American Soldier population. The Cal Guard’s Indian American Soldiers have really served as the cultural bridge between the United States and India. Everything as simple as translation all the way to encouraging a more sort of intimate level of interaction that we might not otherwise be able to achieve because they break that barrier—they create that sort of commonality between the two of us that serves to break the ice.” Moreland said Yudh Abhyas has been growing in importance in the Asia Pacific region. “India is emerging as a strong strategic partner,” he said. “The relationship and trust continues to grow and we’re hoping that as time goes on we can forge a pretty strong partnership in the Asia Pacific where we have common security interests.” During the closing ceremony for Yudh Abhyas 2014, Indian Army Maj. Gen. Ashwani Kumar addressed the mixed formation of U.S. and Indian Soldiers. “Our friendship, especially in the military context, is steadily rising,” he said. “The interoperability achieved will enable us to operate together, if the need arises. Overall, I can say with conviction, that the exercise has been a grand success.”
 SHARE
 PRINT
 NY National Guard Strengthens Bonds with Allies in Morocco Overseas Operations • 4 days ago
 Alaska Guard Soldiers Honored Before Middle East Deployment Overseas Operations • 10 days ago
 29th Infantry Division HQ Heads Exercise Immediate Response Overseas Operations • 15 days ago
 134th Medical Company Joins Combined Resolve Exercise Overseas Operations • 17 days ago
 Guard Soldiers, Czech Partners Celebrate Victory in Europe Day Overseas Operations • 19 days ago
 2024 (24)  2023 (57)  2022 (71)  2021 (58)  2020 (41)  2019 (56)  2018 (55)  2017 (46)  2016 (31)  2015 (36)  2014 (48)  2013 (64)  2012 (134)  2011 (163)  2010 (179)
 Home
 Site Map
 Privacy & Security Policy
 Link Disclaimer
 Web Policy
 DOD Information Quality
 DOD Open GovernmentFOIA
 No FEAR Act
 Accessibility/Section 508
 Contact Us
 Army Guard Careers
 Air Guard Careers
 USA.gov
                    
Staying Connected
    XYouTubeFlickrFacebookInstagram
                 
                
                

Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil