JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- Units from the U.S. military and Japan Self-Defense Forces recently concluded the bilateral field training exercise Keen Sword 17.
The exercise, which ran from Oct. 30 to Nov. 11, is the latest in a series of joint, bilateral field training exercises since 1986 involving U.S. military and JSDF personnel designed to increase combat readiness and interoperability of the Japan-U.S. alliance.
“Operational readiness is a guiding principle for U.S. Forces, Japan,” said U.S. Forces Japan Commander Lt. Gen. Jerry Martinez. “Keen Sword 17 is an opportunity to increase readiness by providing a realistic training environment for U.S. forces and the JSDF to practice, evaluate and improve our coordination procedures and interoperability requirements.”
Approximately 11,000 U.S. personnel participated in KS17, including those assigned to U.S. Forces Japan Headquarters, 5th Air Force, U.S. Naval Forces Japan, U.S. Army Japan, III Marine Expeditionary Force and Amphibious Force 7th Fleet.
For the first time since the inception of this annual exercise, U.S. and JSDF extended their bilateral operations beyond the waters, land and airspace of Japan to include training on and near the islands of Tinian and Guam.
“This exercise has given us confidence that in whatever contingency, we will be able to use the maximum amount of resources available to respond,” said Capt. James McKinney, 374th Operations Group, C-130 navigator. “With the relationships we built at Keen Sword, we can, in the future, work together more effectively. Keen Sword offered us flexibility in how to respond to contingencies while also giving us the proof that we can all cooperate to accomplish the same mission.”