U.S. Air Force Colonel Ryan Sweeney, 36 Wing Operations Group Commander, U.S. Air Force Colonel Britt Hurst, U.S. COPE NORTH Exercise Director, Koku Jieitai (Japan Air Self-Defense Force) Colonel Kensuke Onishi, the Japanese COPE NORTH Exercise Director, and Royal Australian Air Force Group Captain Ben Sleeman, the Australian COPE NORTH Exercise Director meet with media on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 21. COPE NORTH allows the U.S. and allied forces to practice humanitarian assistance/disaster relief efforts to prepare for and recover from the devastating effects of natural disasters. (US Air Force video by A1C Phillip Guadiana-Gomez) More