By Tiffany Williams –
In Massachusetts, military personnel from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Armenia, United Kingdom, Georgia and the United States arrived last Monday at Joint Base Cape Cod.
About 250 military personnel, U.S. Central Command said began a 14-day Regional Cooperation 25 exercise hosted by the Massachusetts Army National Guard.
U.S. Central Command said, “The multilateral command post and field training exercise runs through June 27 and is the largest U.S. Central Command-led military-to-military exercise involving Central and South Asian (CASA) partners.”
The exercise, U.S. Central Command said, “Aims to enhance regional security and stability by promoting cooperation and interoperability among participating nations.”
U.S. Central Command also said, “Activities will focus on combating weapons of mass destruction, terrorist groups, narcotics trafficking, and strengthening peace operations. For the first time, cyber protection operations will be integrated to address evolving security threats.”
“The objective of Exercise Regional Cooperation is to build lasting partnerships and friendships by learning from one another—bridging the distance and geographic boundaries that often keep us apart,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Randall Phillips, the lead planner and CASA Branch Chief, emphasizing the importance of the exercise in building partnerships and readiness.
Regional Cooperation has been conducted annually since 2001, tracing its origins back to 1996. The exercise pairs Central and South Asian countries with their U.S. National Guard State Partners from Alaska, Arizona, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, and Virginia.
“No matter what uniform we wear or where we come from, we share a common commitment: safeguarding our nations and ensuring security for generations to come,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Gary Keefe, the 43rd Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard, highlighting the growing importance of international partnerships in addressing security challenges.