Sgt. Miguel Andrade was preparing a Joint Base Lewis-McChord infantry team for a morning exercise this week when a new friend from the Indian army pulled him aside to give him a gift and a hug.
Andrade, clearly touched by the gesture, smiled and promised to return the favor. He slipped the unopened red box into his Army fatigues and shook the Indian soldier’s hand.
“Much appreciated,” he said. “I’ll get you a gift soon, on Sunday.”
Their embrace symbolized one of many new friendships being forged this week between American and Indian soldiers at a joint military exercise called Yudh Abhyas. It’s the first time the Indian army has sent a contingent of troops to train in Washington state. Around 150 Indian soldiers are visiting.
The partnership kicked off Sept. 9 with a ceremony, followed by a week of team-building events that included a trip to Ocean Shores and a Seattle Mariners ballgame.
The unfamiliar troops were able “to break the ice” so they could overcome communication barriers later in the exercise, said Maj. Ravi Panwar, a company commander in the 6th Battalion, Kumaon Regiment.
“We are lucky to come to this part of the Earth and witness the Pacific,” Panwar said. “Clearly that in itself is an achievement.”
The exercise is heading into its last days with increasingly complex assignments that weave together the experiences of American and Indian soldiers.
As descendants of the British army, they’re finding they have a lot in common.
“With the Indian army, it’s very easy. They are an advanced military. It wasn’t very different from training for an American exercise,” said Capt. Ken Shogry, who helped organize this week’s tasks for JBLM’s 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment.
They’ve also made time to learn about each other. The Americans showed off their eight-wheeled Strykers and described how the 20-ton machines can move on a battlefield to deliver troops to hot spots.
The Indians talked about the ways they can fight militant groups in their own country with steady foot patrols. Many of the soldiers visiting JBLM this week have extensive experience searching for anti-government insurgents or defending vulnerable people on United Nations peacekeeping missions.
On Thursday, the exercise broke participants into three blended groups. Each team took orders from an Indian officer but contained soldiers from both countries.
One group was charged with defending a cluster of buildings. Another had to attack. One more was called in to defuse an unexpected threat.
“I really feel good to see that the tactics we practice in our country are very similar to ones the Americans use,” said Capt. Vishnu Hota of the Indian army as he led a group of soldiers into the woods at JBLM.
Andrade, the JBLM soldier who received a gift at the start of Thursday’s drill, was particularly popular among Indian enlisted troops. The Indians would crowd around him and pepper him with question after question.
How many soldiers are in an American infantry company? How many officers?
How much food do you bring? How much does your pack weigh?
What do you do if you’re being attacked and there’s no place to take cover?
At that last question, Andrade dropped to the ground to illustrate how he’d make himself a harder target. He then described how his teammates would reach safety: One shoots while the other runs, alternating until they find cover.
“You fire, you move, you fire, you move,” said Andrade, a veteran of the Afghanistan War.
He surmises the Indian soldiers were drawn to him because they picked up on his accent and recognized someone who could relate to them. Andrade grew up on the island of Cape Verde on the coast of West Africa. He joined the Army in 2010, two years after he immigrated to America.
“I roll my R’s, so they know I’m not from here,” he said.
Andrade enjoyed his time coaching the Indian soldiers.
“I miss my culture. I like to be around another culture,” he said.
He also was soaking up as much as he could in case he ever gets a chance to fulfill a dream.
“I want to visit India,” he said, “so I’m trying to learn what I can.”
