SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES REPORT-ODC ARMENIA-September 2007

UNCLAS YEREVAN 001268 SIPDIS SIPDIS SECSTATE FOR PM AND ISP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MCAP KCFE XG AM SUBJECT: SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES REPORT-ODC ARMENIA-September 2007 ¶1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: PAP-DIB Survey conducted; IMET graduate reception; Humanitarian Assistance events conducted with KSNG; FY08 FMF Letter of Request being finalized; One JCTP and two SPP events conducted in Sep; Letter of Agreement for Excess Defense Articles (EDA) still in DoS Legal. ¶2. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS ¶A. The PAP-DIB survey for Armenia was conducted by the Center for Civil-military Relations (CCMR) from 17-20 Sept. The five-person team assessed seven fields that the ARM MOD is currently looking at reforming. The fields included combating terrorism, defense policy/strategy, democratic control of armed forces, defense budgeting, human resource management, logistics, and peacekeeping operations. The CCMR team determined that first, the ARM MOD could use assistance with the development of the National Military Doctrine, which is the document that will drive all the areas of defense reform for the MOD. CCMR will first work with assisting in this area, and will then further assist the ODC in developing a sequence for five other DIB events which will be conducted in FY08 to support Defense Institution Building assistance to Armenia. The ARM MOD will provide an English version of the NMD on 9 Oct, and a CCMR team will review it and provide US input by the end of Oct. This input, if accepted by the MOD, will help drive all future DIB implementation in FY08-09. ¶B. On 18 Sep, the ODC hosted a reception for the 91 International Military Education and Training (IMET) program graduates from Armenia. DAO also provided funding to assist with the execution of the event. U.S. Charge'de Affaires: Ambassador Perina; and Armenian Gen-Maj Melkonyan (the head of the Foreign Relations Department) both spoke during the festivities. Since 2002, DoS has provided over $3M to send more than ninety Armenian military officers, warrant officers, and sergeants through English language training and military job-specific training in U.S. military schools. The ARM MOD has demonstrated that they value IMET by utilizing 100% of their IMET graduates. Ninety three percent of the graduates are employed in military jobs directly related to their IMET training. The other seven percent have either been promoted to new positions since their IMET training, or serve as liaison officers in the MOD or in foreign assignments where their English language skills are a necessity. ODC Armenia will attempt to make the IMET reception an annual event. ¶C. HA event conducted: MAJ Keller, the BAO in ODC Armenia, coordinated a humanitarian assistance event in which eye and dental examinations were conducted and medicines distributed in the southern Armenian villages of Darbas, Shamb, and Tatev from 18-20 Sep. Three U.S. military doctors, and three U.S. medical assistants accompanied by two Armenian military doctors, focused their activities on children and the elderly. The treatment teams spent one day at each of the villages. The American team worked at village medical treatment facilities utilizing $60,000 USD worth of medical supplies and aid in addition to prescribing and then delivering prescription eye glasses to those in need. The medical team screened and treated about 300 total patients. ¶D. FMF FY08. The ARM MOD has provided the ODC Armenia with a new Letter of Request (LOR) to obligate about $4.5M from FY06 and FY07 FMF budget. ODC is currently checking and confirming national stock numbers (NSN) on the LOR before forwarding to USASAC and DSCA. The LOR will address equipping requirements for the new second (actual identification number has yet to be assigned)peacekeeping battalion and the new Peacekeeping Brigade staff, to include communications gear. Additional requirements are separately being identified for the Armenian De-mining Center. It would be preferred if Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) funding could be used to address de-mining requirements, and the ODC is working with EUCOM to explore these opportunities. The goal of the MOD and ODC is to obligate all remaining FY07 FMF funds to meet CCP and Armenian MOD goals and then request the delivery of FY08 FMF as soon as possible so those funds will be obligated before the end of FY08. ¶E. STATUS OF FOREIGN MILITARY FINANCING (FMF): ¶1. US Embassy is working with DoS Legal in an attempt to try and expedite the LOA for the excess defense article (EDA) vehicles using FMF. The case is being coordinated primarily through the United States Army Security Assistance Command (USASAC),with the LOR having been sent out in May 07. ODC will continue to track the progress of this case, with all future EMEDS training specifically depending on the delivery of EDA vehicles. ¶2. Additional equipment ordered for the 12th Peacekeeping Battalion in the FMF AM-B-BAA, A1 case requested in Sep 06 continues arriving. ¶3. ODC is also awaiting the LOA for the FMF blanket case for excess personnel equipment, coordinated by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO) sent out on 2 Feb 07 (AM-R-FFF). This also appears to be held up in DoS Legal. 4 Equipment from AM-B-UBC: NBC Equipment also arrived throughout Sep, with a number of spare parts arriving prior to their end items. ODC will continue to track and work with USASAC. ¶F. Joint Contact Team Program (JCTP). One JCTP event was conducted in September. From 26-28 Sep three Armenian officers from the 12th Peacekeeping Bn observed the KSNG Mobilization Readiness Exercise (MRE) at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hoehenfels, Germany. The 12th PK Battalion Commander, his executive officer, and their S-3 attended the event. ¶G. State Partnership Program (SPP). Two SPP events were conducted in September. ¶1. The Crisis Communications TCT was conducted 26-28 Sep with the Armenian Rescue Service and the Ministry of Defense. Two KSNG NCOs observed the table top crisis response exercise conducted by ARS with MOS support. ¶2. The BAO coordinated a humanitarian assistance event in which eye and dental examinations were conducted and medicines distributed in the southern Armenian villages of Darbas, Shamb, and Tatev from 18-20 Sep. Six KSNG medical personnel participated with two ARM doctors. ¶H. Humanitarian Assistance (HA). ¶1. The ODC will conduct a project initiation meeting for the HA water project event as soon as the US Army Corps of Engineers representatives in Tbilisi receive the HA funding and are available to make the trip to Yerevan. The stand-alone HA event will reconstruct existing water wells in three rural villages in Armenia where the current water system has deteriorated to a degree that potable water is seldom available. ¶2. The ODC submitted two EP requests that are awaiting funding from EUCOM-J4-ID-HA. One request is to supply furniture and school equipment to two affiliated orphanages for disabled children. The second request is to supply the same items for a boarding school for children with disabilities. ¶I. International Military Education and Training (IMET): English Language testing and number of IMET students in US. ¶1. Training Snapshot Students at DLI: 8 Students at Specialty Training: 11 E-IMET: 0 ¶2. English Comprehension Level (ECL) Testing Students tested in September: 7 ¶3. PERSONNEL/RESOURCES/LOGISTICS ¶A. GAINS: None ¶B. LOSSES: Araksya Abrahamyan: resigned from her Training Program Manager position and moved to France with her French husband ¶C. ATTACHED PERSONNEL (TDY): None. ¶D. APPROVED LEAVES NEXT 30 DAYS: None ¶E. TDY NEXT 30 DAYS: MAJ Keller, 21-27 Oct 07; BAO training at EUCOM ¶F. RATING SCHEME CHANGES: ¶G. EXTENSIONS/CURTAILMENTS: None. ¶5. ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES: ¶A. EFFICIENCY REPORT SUSPENSES: None ¶B. AWARD SUSPENSES: None ¶C. PERSONNEL ACTIONS: Conducting hiring process for new Budget Analyst/Admin Assistant due to hiring previous Budget Analyst to be the new Training Program Manager ¶6. ODC CHIEF'S COMMENTS: None. ¶7. POC for this message is LTC Doug Peterson. 37410-49-46-65 37410-46-47-36(fax) petersond@state.gov PERINA