On 19 June, soldiers from the U.S. Army Pacific joined forces with soldiers from across the Pacific region for a momentous occasion—the opening ceremony of Khaan Quest 23 at the Five Hills Training Facility outside Ulaanbaatar.

Khaan Quest 23 will focus on a Command Post Exercise , but the exercise will also include a Critical Enabler’s Capability Enhancement (2CE) and a Field Training Exercise. All elements of Khaan Quest 23 are focused on peacekeeping and stability operations and involve Mongolian, U.S. and multinational forces working jointly to increase interoperability and readiness for the peacekeeping mission set.

The Mongolian Armed Forces invited military personnel from other countries to participate, currently there are 26 countries participating in this year’s Khaan Quest 23.

“Mongolia always pursues a peace-loving, open, independent, and multi-pillar foreign policy. The exercise has been making a significant contribution to increasing the peace support capacity of participating countries and strengthening their friendship and military trust,” said President U. Khurelsukh, president of Mongolia and commander-in-chief of the MAF, at the opening ceremony.

The 14-day event is a regularly scheduled, multinational exercise co-sponsored by the U.S. Army Pacific Command and hosted annually by the Mongolian Armed Forces. Khaan Quest 23 is the latest in a continuing series of exercises designed to promote regional peace and security. This year’s exercise marks the 20th anniversary of this training event.