Courtesy Photo | Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DM)...... read more read more
Twenty-three Marines and Sailors participated in Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance’s new Humanitarian Assistance Response Training (HART)-Conflict course at Camp Courtney, in Okinawa, Japan Dec. 9-11.
The three-day HART-Conflict course is designed to prepare the U.S. joint force and their security partners for supporting, and when necessary, conducting humanitarian assistance before, during, and after combat operations.
“Our goal is to enable humanitarian actor’s access, security, and delivery of assistance throughout all phases of military operations,” said Josh Szimonisz, CFE-DM’s HART program manager.
The content focuses heavily on civilian harm mitigation by incorporating humanitarian considerations into military planning and conduct of operations.
“Everyone has a basic understanding of the civilian considerations when planning but I now better understand how to plan for the second and third order effects that conflict and displaced civilians bring,” said 1st Lt. Collin Hogan, logistics officer, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. “I feel that I am now better able to advise my Commander on the resources and contacts available. This is great information that needs to be shared with more military communities. Having a better understanding of the human aspect of military operations and a new ability to assist in the planning for the effects it has, I feel that the younger generations of leaders will be better suited in the future to deal with these complex issues.”
The course is considered to be a hybrid of in-person and virtual instructors conducting lectures, expert panel discussions, and small group practical application sessions on humanitarian access and humanitarian assistance in a conflict and post-conflict environment.
Through the use of a historical case study, Battle for Mosul, Iraq 2016-2017, participants studied practical lessons on humanitarian access and protection of civilians. The course concluded with a North Korea case study, where students applied the knowledge gleaned from the course toward a future planning scenario.
“I particularly enjoyed the two case studies,” said Hogan. “The historical case study on Mosul, and how that area is still feeling effects today was very eye-opening. The hypothetical case study on [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] DPRK really brought all the course material together and allowed us, the students, to apply these lessons and critical thinking about the problem at hand.”
Due to the hybrid nature of the course, CFE-DM invited a diverse staff of guest instructors from International Committee of the Red Cross, InterAction, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, United States Agency for International Development Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, USAID Office of Transition Initiatives, Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. Army, and Norwegian Refugee Council.
Considering this course is a pilot course, CFE-DM instructors and staff are paying extra attention to participant and instructor feedback.
“We strive to improve each of the Center's training courses, and ultimately we will tailor the content and delivery to ensure the best possible product for our course participants,” said Szimonisz. “Stay tuned to our website: https://www.cfe-dmha.org for more information on upcoming HART- Conflict courses at a location near you!”
| Date Taken: | 12.11.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 01.08.2021 19:21 |
| Story ID: | 386647 |
| Location: | OKINAWA, JP |
| Hometown: | CAMP COURTNEY, JP |
| Hometown: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 165 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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