Meanwhile, in Alaska…

Indian troops in Alaska have been exercising with the US Army in a joint exercise that kicked off last week. This has included drills in cordon and search operations as well as airborne operations.

But it hasn’t been all work and no play. Both sides find time to relax with sports and, actually, the Indians might not have missed home too much.

The Indian paratroopers, also took a break from Yudha Abhyas (War Exercise) 2010 to celebrate Diwali with their US hosts. Specialist Ashley M. Armstrong, of the US Army’s 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command writes that ‘Soldiers from US Army Alaska were given that experience when they were invited to celebrate the Diwali festival Nov. 5 with soldiers of the Indian army at the Wilderness Inn dining facility on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska’. Armstrong says there was an exchange of sweets, dancing and dinner at the celebration.

The Indian contingent has been helped along in its interaction with their US counterparts by two sisters of Indian origin in the US Army. Armstrong, pointing out that ‘Military operations between two nations can be challenging with the diversity of language, cultures and traditions’, wrote that ‘US Army Alaska found an untraditional method of alleviating those challenges when they discovered India-born sisters Corporal Balreet Kaur and Specialist Jasleen Kaur, both medics for the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (National Guard), who serve as cultural liaisons between the armies of India and the United States during exercise Yudh Abhyas 2010’.

The sisters who serve as medics, also speak Hindi, and were ‘specifically chosen for the exercise because of their background, knowledge and experience’. “Our commander knew that the Indian army and the US Army were working together and he wanted something beyond just the exercise. He wanted the cultural aspect to mesh as well,” Armstrong quoted Jasleen.

She wrote that ‘Jasleen and Balreet have provided guidance to USARAK on different accommodations that were necessary for the Indian soldiers to feel more comfortable in an unfamiliar environment’.

“In India, most people shower with buckets that we fill with tap water and we use a mug to scoop the water out, so they wanted to make sure that the Indian soldiers in the field had the right resources – in this case mugs – for proper hygiene,” said Balreet to Armstong.

“They really have given 110 percent here. They have even offered Indian meals at the chow hall,” added Jasleen to her. According to Armstrong, ‘the sisters and their family left India in 2001 because of religious conflict in their home village and they haven’t returned since