SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES REPORT-ODC ARMENIA-May 2007

UNCLAS YEREVAN 000785 SIPDIS SIPDIS SECSTATE FOR PM AND ISP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MCAP KCFE XG AM SUBJECT: SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES REPORT-ODC ARMENIA-May 2007 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: U.S. Assessment of Armenian MOD English language program being conducted; End-Use Monitoring (EUM) inspection of radios postponed; Letters of Request for additional Expeditionary Medical Support (EMEDS) equipment and training sent; Kansas Secretary of State and representative of KS TAG visit Armenia. SIPDIS ¶2. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS ¶A. A U.S. language instructor and program manager from the Defense Language Institute for English Language Center (DLIELC) has been conducting an assessment of the existing English language program in the Armenian MOD, and has been exploring the opportunity for the MOD to establish a new intensive English language program, which will directly support IMET preparation and Armenian officer development. Mrs Laura McKenzie arrived 9 May and since that time has evaluated the ELT at the Armenian Aviation Institute, the Military Institute, the 12th Peacekeeping Bn, the De-mining Center, and the MOD. She has provided assistance to the various instructors as well as to the Armenian English language program manager. Additionally, she is preparing a document that will provide detailed recommendations for improvement and enhancement of the existing non-intensive ELT program as well as detailed recommendations and instructions for establishing an intensive ELT program at the Aviation institute. Complimenting her visit the ODC will conduct a number of actions to support the establishment of the Armenian intensive ELT program: upgrade an existing EL lab at the Aviation institute to support intensive EL study; escort the EL program developer (the Personnel Department Chief) and the Chief Armenian Security Assistance Coordinator to see the DLI facilities in San Antonio in order to provide first-hand experience at an existing intensive language center; and request an MTT of two instructors from DLI who will help establish the new intensive ELT program, once the Armenian MOD meets the preconditions established by the DLI Assessment report prepared by Mrs McKenzie. Mrs McKenzie will return to DLI on 9 June. ¶B. The End-Use Monitoring (EUM) inspection of Harris radios in Armenia originally scheduled for early May was postponed due to the Armenian escort officer breaking his leg. The inspection will be rescheduled for later this summer. ¶C. STATUS OF FOREIGN MILITARY FINANCING (FMF): ¶1. The Letters of Request (LOR) for two FMF cases designed to enhance the Armenian EMEDS were forwarded to DSCA and SAF/IA on 23 May. One case is an amendment to the existing AM-D-EAA equipment case. This amendment will acquire additional medical and deployment equipment that will improve the capabilities of the EMEDS by adding improved trauma care and easing set-up and storage. The second case is a new training case to support two additional mobile training team events schedule for Sep 07 and Feb 08. Total FMF obligation of both cases is estimated at $1.1M. ¶2. The LOR for the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) FMF case was forwarded to DSCA and USASAC on 11 May 07. This new case requested a number of heavy equipment trucks and forklifts that are intended to deploy the EMEDS facility as well and assist in loading and storing the unit. Additionally, a five-year spare parts packages was also requested to allow proper sustainment of these vehicles. Once the vehicles arrive, the Armenian MOD will be capable of deploying EMEDS rapidly domestically or of transporting the hospital to the local airport for immediate deployment internationally. ¶3. Additional equipment ordered for the 12th Peacekeeping Battalion in the FMF AM-B-BAA, A1 case requested in Sep 06 will continue arriving with the delivery of a third large shipment of personal equipment, logistics equipment, and mission essential equipment expected in mid to late June. ¶4. ODC is awaiting the LOA for the FMF blanket case for personnel equipment coordinated by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO). The LOR was sent out on 2 Feb 07 (AM-R-FFF). It is currently being processed by DSCA. ¶D. Joint Contact Team Program (JCTP). The annual Kansas TAG Visit was conducted in May. Maj Gen Todd Bunting, the Kansas Adjutant General, was unable to attend due to the tornado that destroyed the town of Greensburg, Kansas. COL Joe Wheeler, Joint Force Headquarters Chief of Staff and Mr. Ron Thornburgh, the Kansas Secretary of State, did visit Armenia for the event. Office calls SIPDIS were held with the Armenian Prime Minister and the Armenian Minister of Defense. In addition, visits to several military bases and civic organizations were held. Planning visits were held in the villages of Tatev, Darbas, and Shamb. These will be the sites of ARM 74, which is a Medical Organization and HCA linked event. ARM 55 EMEDS (TCT),scheduled for MAY, was postponed due to equipment shortages. The event will be rescheduled for AUG or SEPT. One Out-of-Cycle JCTP event will be held in JUNE. Two members of the Armenian Rescue Service and one from the Ministry of Defense will visit Greensburg, Kansas, to see first hand the Kansas EMEDS set-up and being jointly operated by the Kansas National Guard and civilians from the destroyed local hospital. The group will also receive briefings from the various organizations that responded to the natural disaster and members of the Joint Operations Cell (JOC). ¶E. State Partnership Program (SPP). No SPP events were conducted in May. Kansas proposed two Mil-to-Civ and one Civ-to-Civ SPP events for FY 08 during the BCPC. One event will focus on helping the Armenian Rescue Service (ARS) develop its emergency response capabilities. A second event will focus on public health issues within Armenia. The final event will be a follow-on to an event held in FY 06 and focus on developing vocational-technical schools within Armenia. Coordination continued between Kansas and the Armenian Rescue Service (ARS) on developing follow-on events to the Crisis First Responder event held in October. Funding has been received to conduct a Crisis Communications TCT. The event is currently scheduled for 4th Quarter. ¶F. Humanitarian Assistance (HA). BAO Armenia along with a USAID officer will attend the EUCOM/USAID Humanitarian Assistance/Partnership Conference in Tunis, Tunisia in June. ODC was notified that the water refurbishment HA project would be funded for FY 07 and a total of $200K would be provided to support EUCOM approved HA projects in FY07-08. The stand-alone HA event proposes to reconstruct existing water wells in two rural villages in Armenia where the current water system has deteriorated to a degree that potable water is seldom available. This proposal was coordinated with USAID and a local NGO. The second event is for medical supplies and support during an HA related Mil-to-Mil event. This event will bring a dentist and optometrist from the Kansas National Guard to Armenia to work with two Armenian Military doctors to provide services to rural areas in Armenia. Additionally, the ODC submitted two EP requests. 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. Approval of these two requests is pending. ¶G. International Military Education and Training (IMET): English Language testing and number of IMET students in US. ¶1. Training Snapshot Students at DLI: 17 Students at Specialty Training: 2 E-IMET: 0 ¶2. English Comprehension Level (ECL) Testing Students tested: 4 Highest score - 87 Lowest Score - 33 Average score - 53.75 ¶3. PERSONNEL/RESOURCES/LOGISTICS ¶A. GAINS: None. ¶B. LOSSES: None. ¶C. ATTACHED PERSONNEL (TDY): Mrs Laura MacKenzie from the Defense Language Institute English Language Center (DLIELC) will be in Yerevan 9 May-9 Jun 07 conducting assessment and providing recommendations for establishing an intensive English Language program in the Armenian MOD. ¶D. APPROVED LEAVES NEXT 30 DAYS: None ¶E. TDY NEXT 30 DAYS: LTC Peterson, South Caucasus and Moldova Clearing House (SCMCH) Conference in Tbilisi, Georgia; 6-8 Jun LTC Moyer, EUCOM Humanitarian Assistance Conference in Tunis, Tunisia; 10-16 Jun. LTC Peterson, Defense Language Institute in San Antonio TX; 24-26 Jun LTC Peterson and Moyer, OSD Bilateral Defense Consultations, Wash DC; 26-30 Jun Ms Anahit Hovhannissian; EUCOM Budget Conference in Dayton, OH; 24-30 Jun ¶F. RATING SCHEME CHANGES: None. ¶G. EXTENSIONS/CURTAILMENTS: None. ¶5. ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES: ¶A. EFFICIENCY REPORT SUSPENSES: a. LTC Peterson: COR in Jun 07 b. LTC Moyer: COR in Jun 07 ¶B. AWARD SUSPENSES: LTC Moyer in Jul 07. ¶C. PERSONNEL ACTIONS: LTC Moyer will depart Yerevan on 25 Jul 07 to out-process at EUCOM. ¶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 GODFREY