What do Tegucigalpa, Honduras and Almaty, Kazakhstan have in common? At first glance, one might think not much.

But both cities have played host to major multi-national peacekeeping exercises. PKO North 2000, a Command Post Exercise (CPX) sponsored by the U.S. Southern Command, took place in Honduras in August. CENTRASBAT 2000, a Field Training Exercise (FTX) sponsored by the U.S. Central Command, occurred a month later in Kazakhstan. Though vastly different in ex-ecution, each pursued similar goals - regional cooperation and the preparation of soldiers to participate more effectively in United Nations peacekeeping missions.

This common bond between such diverse cities is important geo-politically, particularly as part of the overall engagement strategy of the U.S. military Commander-in-Chief (CINC) in each respective region. For those who missed it, a series of three articles describing the evolving role of the CINCs in U.S. foreign policy was published in the Washington Post beginning 28 Sept., 2000 and re-printed in the International Herald Tribune. Such strategic importance to the U.S. military was underscored by personal visits to Honduras by then CINCSOUTH Gen. Charles E. Wilhelm and to Kazakhstan by CINCCENT Gen. Tommy R. Franks, CINCEUROPE Gen. Joseph W. Ralston and even the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Henry H. Shelton.

Yet hovering below the stratosphere is another commonality of an importance perhaps more tactical, though no less significant. The participation of a UN Training Assistance Team (UNTAT) in both exercises provided a crucial link between simulation and reality. Invited by exercise organizers, the UNTAT - a tool devised by what was then the Training Unit of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) in 1995 - assembles expertise from around the world to advise trainers on various aspects and components of a UN mission. UNTAT teams, depending on the requesting nations' training needs, may be comprised of experts in UN Civilian Police (CIVPOL) and Military Observers (MILOBS) activities; inter-national law, including humanitarian and human rights law; UN logistics and administration; peacekeeping tech-niques; and humanitarian affairs.

The inclusion of civilians from UN Agencies and non-governmental org-anizations (NGOs) on UNTATs in 1997 was an important innovation that gives the training audience a more realistic sense that they are not alone out there in the mission area. In the case of PKO North 2000, a virtual UN mission was replicated to include the Special Rep-resentative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) - role-played by former real life SRSG in Angola, Dame Margaret Anstee - which emphasized the political nature of all UN missions. In Kazakhstan, where the scenario included a "live" refugee camp, representatives of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) were an extremely valuable resource for participants to learn about the rights of refugees and the Agency's role in their protection. The presence of NGOs on the UNTAT in both exercises further highlighted the need for effective mechanisms for civil-military cooperation and communication, since the humanitarian community is as diverse - if not more so - as a UN multi-national brigade. Though there were different U.S. commands and participating countries involved, there were some similar lessons learned from both exercises. Two of the most noteworthy were:

The expertise provided by the UNTAT could be incorporated earlier in exercise planning and scenario development. This would aid in the development of the roles of the various UN components in the exercise as well as further defining critical teaching points so participants are better prepared for deployment on a UN mission.

The humanitarian community has the lead on humanitarian issues. The military, if needed, plays a support role in the larger humanitarian effort and should establish early on a mechanism for referring such incidents to the humanitarian community.

The distinct and diverse cultures of Honduras and Kazakhstan in a way portray the divergence between civilian and military cultures. Yet the exercises that took place in these countries on opposite sides of the world have on various levels helped to bring civilians and militaries together in their respective regions to "train together to work together" in the pursuit of peace. This is perhaps most significant of all.

Sharon McHale, training advisor, specializes in peace operations and the role of UN Agencies and NGOs in complex humanitarian emergencies, which keeps her continually active in command post training exercises and CHART courses, one aspect of her responsibilities at the Center.