The Nepal Army and U.S. Army Pacific announced their participation in the Pacific Resilience Disaster Response Exercise & Exchange (DREE) to be held in Kathmandu, Nepal.  The exercise, which runs from September 9-12, is a civil-military disaster preparedness and response initiative between the Nepal Army, the Government of Nepal, US Army Pacific, and the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force.  This exercise is a follow-up to the February 2013 Table-Top Exercise led by the Nepal Army.

According to press release issued by U.S. Embassy, the exercise is a Humanitarian Assistance / Disaster Relief exercise involving over 100 participants.  The training will focus on civil-military integration, urban search & rescue techniques, engineering response, and medical assistance.  The “hands-on” activities will involve a wide range of Nepal government and non-government organizations, in addition to International Organizations, INGOs, and others.  The exercise will also evaluate emergency response procedures at Birendra Hospital and the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.