Super Garuda Shield 24: US Army assists in construction of a school

PALANGAN, EAST JAVA, Indonesia — In a small Indonesian city just south of the Java Sea, the U.S. Army's 610th Engineer Support Company is aiding the Indonesian National Armed Forces in rebuilding a local school. The project is a small part of a larger operation known as Super Garuda Shield, the largest military training exercise between Indonesia and the United States to date. The annual two-week exercise runs this year from Aug. 26 to Sept. 6, 2024, and aims to advance military modernization and enhance joint capabilities.

The United States and Indonesia, building on a decades-long partnership, are entering a new era of cooperation under a comprehensive strategic partnership, a collaboration between two governments who agree to continue to expand cooperation in all aspects of their relationship. The United States is dedicated to strengthening ties with Indonesia and working together to advance stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.

The school renovation project took place at SD Negeri 2 Palagan, a state primary school in the Palagan province of Indonesia. SD is short for "Sekolah Dasar," the Indonesian word for elementary school. "Negeri" translates literally to "country," defines it as a local public school in Indonesia. The school, which teaches children ages three to twelve, and its surrounding area of Palangan are prone to floods during the monsoon season, which damages the building and makes access to local education more difficult.

“We are here with the Civic Action Program, just trying to leave an impact on this village,” said U.S. Army 1st. Lt. Jordan Dunn, officer in charge of the 610th Engineer Support Company. “The locals here in Palagan are always friendly, always bringing us food to try and games we can play. They have been super receptive to us, and we've felt nothing but welcome here.”

The United States is proud to participate in this Indonesian-led exercise to improve both nations’ capabilities across a wide range of military operations. Super Garuda Shield 2024 supports this goal by increasing opportunities for both militaries to work together in a complex and realistic training environment. Rebuilding and renovating SD Negeri has been a rewarding experience for U.S. service members, as they gain experience working with different materials and accounting for changing weather patterns, humidity and heat.

Dunn continued to discuss the benefits U.S. Army Soldiers receive from these humanitarian projects. “This is what our Soldiers do, apart from strategically building bunkers, airfields, and such; we go out and we build infrastructure. This can very easily be translated over to providing power and infrastructure down the line for a future operation.”

Super Garuda Shield is an annual exercise that has significantly grown in scope and size since 2009. Super Garuda Shield 2024 is the third consecutive time this exercise has grown into a combined and joint event, focused on commitment to partnership and a free and open Indo-Pacific.