The U.S. Civilian Response Corps will participate in Exercise Talisman Sabre 2011 to be held in Australia this July. The exercise is a biennial training activity that is jointly sponsored by the U.S. Pacific Command and the Australian Defence Force Joint Operations Command. It seeks to increase both countries’ ability to plan and execute contingency responses, from combat missions to humanitarian assistance efforts.
The U.S. Civilian Response Corps will join the Australian Civilian Corps, the Australian Agency for International Development, and other Australian civilian agencies for the exercise. In July 2010 the U.S. Civilian Response Corps and the Australian Civilian Corps signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in which they agreed to deepen their existing collaboration. Both organizations’ participation in this exercise will further strengthen bilateral civil-military collaboration and the partnership between the United States and Australia.
The U.S. Civilian Response Corps is a group of civilian federal employees specially trained and equipped to deploy rapidly to provide conflict prevention and stabilization assistance to countries in crisis or emerging from conflict. The Corps leverages the diverse talents, expertise, and technical skills of members from nine federal departments and agencies: the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Health & Human Services, Homeland Security, Justice, and Transportation.
Additional information on Exercise Talisman Sabre 2011 is available on the U.S. Pacific Fleet website or through a link on the Australian Defence Force site.
