Photo By Sgt. Daniel Lucas | Hoa Tran, Humanitarian Advisor, Crisis Response Coordination Group, looks for durable...... read more read more
ENOGGERA, Australia - At the Command Post Exercise portion of Talisman Saber 17, more than 700 U.S. and Australian service members conduct operations in a combined, joint and interagency environment. that increases both countries' ability to plan and execute contingency responses, from combat missions to humanitarian assistance efforts. One of the people handling the humanitarian portion of the exercise is Hoa Tran, Humanitarian Advisor, Crisis Response Coordination Group.
"We respond to protect victims of conflict around the world," said Tran. "We want to meet the emergency needs: foot, shelter, clean water of those in need."
This was the first time during any iteration of the exercise that the humanitarian role played such a large part on the scenario. This had a major impact on Tran and soldiers with the Civil-Military Operations.
"Civil-Military Operations are focused on how to minimize destabilizing effects of combat on the civil populace," said Maj. Matt Allen, Civil-Military Operations planner, First Corps. "In order to ensure people are safe from combat, civil-military operations work closely with the inter-agency and non-governmental organizations to ensure military operations are understood and coordinated throughout the area." He also said that these other non-governmental organizations are not subordinate to the military, but the can provide other means to diplomatically or economically accomplish common strategic objectives.
Tran's involvement in humanitarian efforts started when she was 7, when she was a recipient of humanitarian assistance in evacuating Vietnam before the fall of Saigon. Once in the states, her family was settled in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, not even knowing how to speak english. By the time Tran turned 16, she received her first Community Service Award.
After becoming a doctor in applied anthropology and public policy, she ended up teaching at Temple University. A year later, she was selected by the American Association for the Advancement of Science to work in the U.S. federal government. Even though her fellowship was a yearlong, she has been working with them ever since.
"My work is very meaningful," said Tran. "Using humanitarian resources to assist innocent victims of conflict provides a direct impact and alleviates suffering." She now travels around the world on monitoring missions, meeting with various governments and trying to persuade them to engage in humanitarian diplomacy to create durable solutions.
Crossing the friendship bridge between Burma and Thailand, on foot with only a small bag. A United Nations vehicle on the Burma side dropped her off and another on the Thailand waiting to get her. It is like something out of a movie. But for Hoa Tran, it was a normal day in the office.
| Date Taken: | 07.24.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 12.09.2019 23:52 |
| Story ID: | 242301 |
| Location: | ENOGGERA, QUEENSLAND, AU |
| Web Views: | 24 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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