Andersen showcases capabilities during SMEE

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Veronica McMahon
  • 36th Wing Public Affairs
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam --  Host nation servicemembers spent five days visiting Team Andersen's Pacific Regional Training Center as part of U.S. Pacific Command's Theater Security Cooperation Program, a multilateral subject-matter expert exchange co-hosted by senior civil engineer and security forces personnel from Headquarters 13th Air Force.

The SMEE allowed officers from Thailand, Australia, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to experience Andersen's capabilities as part of an effort to combine military information, enhance regional partnerships and showcase U.S. commitment to its allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific region.

"We are demonstrating to them our capabilities and what the Pacific Air Force can provide for them," said Staff Sgt. Michael Dugan, 736 SFS PRTC instructor and K-9 operations noncommissioned officer in charge. "We are also showing them that there is technology out there as well as various programs they may be able to use in the future."

During the SMEE, called Pacific Unity and Pacific Defender, the visitors were able to participate in daily training activities, such as humvee roll over training, weapons simulator, counter improvised explosive devices and advanced tactics training.

The civil engineering and security forces community have conducted SMEEs for more than 40 years as their responsibilities have grown in number and complexity with more experts participating in exchanges to share knowledge required in specific areas.

Maj. Jeffrey Day, 13th Air Force SFS division chief, said they conduct about six to eight a year, with three or four of them on Guam.

"The goal here is for us to exchange ideas of how we protect our base and our people, as well as learn how they operate," said the major. "We will probably end up working with them in this area of responsibility in the future, whether it is humanitarian or an exercise. The ultimate goal here is to continue further relationships and take away any positives from them and how they operate."