Lao, Vietnamese, and Cambodia militaries kick off joint SAR exercise

Lt. Gen. Saichay Commasith speaking at the opening of the training

Lieutenant General Saichay Commasith, Deputy Minister of Defense and Chief of the General Staff of the Lao People’s Army, presided over the event. Attending the ceremony were Senior Colonel Pham Van Dung, Deputy Chief of Staff of Vietnam’s Military Region 4, and Colonel Long Kim Thean, Deputy Director of the Training Department under the General Staff of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.

The joint training for the armed forces of Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia is being held along the Nam Houm River in Naxaiphong district from October 6 to 14, focusing on practicing and handling scenarios involving search and rescue of victims swept away by floodwaters and rescue operations in collapsed structures. The official joint exercise is scheduled to take place on October 15.

Forces of the three countries at the event

This annual activity is conducted under the agreement among the Ministers of Defense of the three countries. The exercise gathers nearly 1,000 officers and soldiers, along with a wide range of modern equipment and materials for SAR missions. The Vietnam People’s Army sends 145 officers and soldiers, primarily from the engineering, medical, communications, and logistics forces of Military Region 4.

Delegates learning about SAR vehicles and equipment of the Vietnam People’s Army

In addition to the joint exercise, the organizing committee will hold various cultural exchanges, art performances, sports events, and information-sharing activities to strengthen mutual understanding among the officers and soldiers of the three countries’ armed forces.

Translated by Chung Anh