A Kyrgyz Republic soldier works on a logistical support scenario during an information exchange at the Transit Center at Manas, Dec. 7, 2011. The hands-on scenario required participants to coordinate the logistics support required to deploy a Kyrgyz Special Forces unit in support of a U.N. peacekeeping operation in Sudan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Tammie Moore)
Staff Sgt. Igor Pogrebnyak (left) translates a briefing to Kyrgyz Republic Col. Maratbek Mamyrbaev during an information exchange at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, Dec. 6, 2011. Pogrebnyak is a Theater Security Cooperation linguist deployed from Creech Air Force Base, Nev. Mamyrbaev is from the Kyrgyz Ministry of Interior. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Tammie Moore)
Kyrgyz Republic soldiers listen to a briefing about Air Mobility Command airlift requirements during a logistics information exchange at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, Dec. 6, 2011. The four-day exchange covered topics ranging from the deployment of battalions and movement of cargo to the presentation of a deployment package. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Tammie Moore)
Staff Sgt. Adrian Cottmeyer briefs Kyrgyz military personnel about Air Mobility Command airlift requirements during a logistics information exchange at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, Dec. 6, 2011. Cottmeyer is deployed to the Transit Center as a 376th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron load planner from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Tammie Moore)
Kyrgyz Republic Col. Ulanbek Myrzakanov briefs members of the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior and Border Guards about a deployment scenario for which they must create plans during a logistics information exchange at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, Dec. 7, 2011. Soilders from the U.S. Army Central Command and Airmen from the Transit Center hosted the four-day logistics information exchange. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Tammie Moore)
by Tech. Sgt. Tammie Moore
376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
12/8/2011 - TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, Kyrgyzstan -- Soldiers from the U.S. Army Central Command and Airmen from the Transit Center hosted a logistics information exchange here with members of the Kyrgyz Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior and Border Guards Dec. 6-8.
The topics during the four-day exchange ranged from the deployment of battalions and movement of cargo, to the presentation of a deployment package-all tasks the Kyrgyz military is working to perfect.
"The purpose of the exchange is to expose the Kyrgyz military to the logistics deployment planning and preparation process," said Master Sgt. Christopher Ellis, 376th Air Expeditionary Wing Theater Security Cooperation NCO in charge of the military cooperation section deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. They have a team they would like to deploy in the future, he added.
The Kyrgyz officials requested the logistics exchange through officials at the U.S. Embassy, in Bishkek who coordinated ARCENT's participation. The ARCENT team is led by Chief Warrant Officer 4 Anthony F. Williams, a 3rd Army senior maintenance officer.
"We're here to help them find better ways to do what they already do," said Williams, deployed from Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. "We put together a seminar to cover the topics about which they need information."
The main focus of the exchange was how to deploy a unit. Williams said the Kyrgyz military typically only deploys two to three people at a time, but to join NATO, this is one of the tasks they have to perform.
In addition to discussions about mass deployments, four Airmen from the 376th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron presented a briefing about Air Mobility Command's airlift requirements.
"We covered the two main topics, which are the heart of AMC, passengers and cargo," said Staff Sgt. Adrian Cottmeyer, a 376th ELRS load planner deployed from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. "We also went over what they can expect to encounter (if they) work with us for a deployment."
During the exchange, Kyrgyz officials participated in a hands-on scenario requiring them to figure out the logistics support required to deploy a Kyrgyz Special Forces unit in support of a U.N. peacekeeping operation in Sudan.
"This exchange is very useful to us," said Kyrgyz Republic Col. Ulanbek Myrzakanov, from the Ministry of Defense. "We are all in a common community; we can't stay in a vacuum by ourselves. All of the problems with terrorism are world problems, it is a common threat. That's why information exchanges are very important to us, we cannot stay by ourselves. We must become one common community and deal with world threats together. Right now both of our countries are doing one common job, one common mission."
