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Volunteers needed
By Rod Thompson
for military’s mock
refugee exercise
Star-BulletinWAIMEA, Hawaii -- Ethnic Greens from Kailua-Kona are being persecuted by the dominant Orange ethnicity there, so they escape to Green-held Parker Ranch where they become refugees.
In comes the U.S. Navy 3rd Fleet to their rescue. And the Marine Corps. And the U.S. Army. And the Air National Guard. And the United Nations.
That's the script for a June 11-15 training exercise in which American forces and the Red Cross will practice managing a mock refugee camp.
It's something they have done already with real refugees in Sudan, Bosnia, Turkey, and elsewhere but have never had a chance to practice, said Peter Young, president of the Waimea Community Association and Disaster Services chairman for the West Hawaii branch of the American Red Cross.
Called Strong Angel, the project is part of this year's RIMPAC 2000 military exercise involving the United States, Australia, and Canada.
All Young needs is 125 "refugees." Even before he put out a notice yesterday, word had leaked out, and he was getting calls from volunteers.
What's needed is "a tolerance for roughing it and a yen for adventure," he said. And a willingness to take Red Cross training and become a Red Cross volunteer.
Those interested should attend a community meeting at Kahilu Town Hall at 5:30 p.m. May 4.
The refugee camp will consist of 30 five-person tents. Every fifth person will be assigned to a tent, Young said. After that, it's up to the refugees to decide who sleeps where.
Anyone 18 to 70 can volunteer, and volunteers aren't required to stay all five days.
Project operators especially want anyone who can speak Japanese, Korean, Tagalog, Spanish, or Arabic, since the military will be testing language translating devices.
"There will come a day when a hurricane will have a large-scale impact on the state. We'd better interact (with the military) now. Let's see how we work together," he said.
