In March 2009, Executive Director, Vic Salazar and Director of Training, Dick Stiliha, provided a third iteration of training in Mongolia (the first was in March 2008). With each trip, OBI grows its training audiences and expands its support to Mongolian government agencies. Vic and Dick addressed groups at the Mongolian Defense University, the National Police Headquarters, and the Headquarters of the 805th Internal Security Forces Command. Key topics included Crisis Intervention, Depression, Alcohol and Substance Abuse, Combat Stress and Suicide Prevention.
As OBI increases its visibility and credibility with the Mongolian uniformed services, it continues to strengthen its working partnerships. At the same time, OBI continues to pursue other avenues of humanitarian support beyond training and education.
The US Defense Attaché to Mongolia has underscored the importance of sustaining OBI’s effort to establish a chaplain corps in the Mongolian Armed Forces. He also expressed appreciation of OBI’s efforts to include police forces along with the Mongolian Armed Forces and the Internal Security Forces in ongoing training.
National Police: OBI conducted three days of training for approximately thirty officers at the National Police Headquarters, with Dick providing a clinical and specialist’s perspective and Vic offering a line-commander’s perspective. All regional headquarters were represented, with one attendee coming from 1200 miles away. OBI also coordinated with the Deputy National Director of Police for Logistics and Human Resources, responsible for the training of all Mongolia’s unit psychologists. The risk of suicidal-ideation is real to the National Police force; hence, they have asked for additional in-depth suicide prevention training during OBI’s next visit.
Mongolian Defense University: OBI also conducted training for approximately sixty personnel there, while also meeting with both the deputy commandant and commandant. In the course of these conversations, OBI learned that the field of unit psychology is in its second year with the Mongolian military; hence, OBI was addressing the second group of trained unit psychologists in the nation’s history. Now heavily reliant upon Russian resources, Mongolian authorities appear keenly interested in broadening their knowledge base with the use of American resources. They have expressed interest in books, papers, and training notes, and they solicit assistance in compiling a unit-psychologist library. They also request assistance in publishing a booklet that would deal with stress, depression and alcohol abuse, issues that certainly apply to other international militaries that OBI currently serves.
Mongolian Medical Needs: The Deputy Commander, Central Military Hospital (the largest military hospital in the country), and the Deputy Commander of the Internal Security and Police hospital, a sister facility, in Ulan Bator, have both expressed the need for medical resources, especially expendables and any medical equipment that might augment the rapid-reaction or first-responder units to national incidents. They also mentioned specifically neurosurgery devices and air splints, along with bandages, syringes, catheters, and vitamins. In a office call with OBI, the Surgeon General of the Mongolian Armed Forces expressed interest in developing a long-term support relationship with OBI. He asked if OBI might consider providing nurse training and combat-medic training and reiterated the military hospital’s needs for military and medical equipment and supplies.
Internal Security Forces: OBI provided training to sixty-five officers and noncommissioned officers occupying both unit psychology and leadership billets in the Internal Security and Border Forces commands. Several attendees had recently deployed to support combat missions in Iraq or Afghanistan and/or United Nations Peacekeeping missions in Sierra Leone or Kosovo, thus demonstrating the internal security force’s commitment to the performance of otherwise typically “military” missions.
Next Steps: In response to Mongolian authorities’ expressed needs, OBI plans to return in November 2009 to conduct training and to further develop a coordinated strategic plan of humanitarian service for up to five years. Concurrently, OBI is mobilizing its resources and exploring collaborative relationships in order to activate a medical program network to meet as many anticipated Mongolian needs as possible.
