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U.S., Japanese Troops Team Up for Northern Viper Exercise

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More than 2,000 U.S. Marines have joined with about 1,500 Japan Self-Defense Force troops to support the first iteration of exercise Northern Viper 2017 at Misawa Air Base, Japan, and on the nearby island of Hokkaido.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Matthew Daily ducks after dropping a round into an M252 81 mm medium weight mortar system
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Matthew Daily ducks after dropping a round into an M252 81 mm medium weight mortar system during Northern Viper 2017 in Chitose, Japan, Aug. 13, 2017. Marines with 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment and 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion spent the day sharing techniques with Japan Ground Self-Defense Force troops. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Ally Beiswanger
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Matthew Daily ducks after dropping a round into an M252 81 mm medium weight mortar system
Marines Ducks
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Matthew Daily ducks after dropping a round into an M252 81 mm medium weight mortar system during Northern Viper 2017 in Chitose, Japan, Aug. 13, 2017. Marines with 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment and 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion spent the day sharing techniques with Japan Ground Self-Defense Force troops. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Ally Beiswanger
Photo By: Sgt. Ally Beiswanger
VIRIN: 170813-M-WW697-199

Northern Viper, which runs Aug. 10-28, is a joint contingency exercise that tests the interoperability and bilateral capability of the JSDF and U.S. Marines. Together, the troops will address challenges across a variety of areas, including peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

The exercise enhances and improves interoperability at the tactical level between the Marines and JSDF to keep the forces formidable and adaptive. The exercise showcases a highly capable, forward-deployed U.S. military presence positioned with their Japanese partners to directly support the security of the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

“We have Marines with 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Marines with 3rd Marine Division and the JSDF all currently together to train here,” said Marine Corps Col. James F. Harp, the commanding officer of Marine Aircraft Group 36. “This exercise is strategically shaping our relationship with Japan.”

U.S. Marines with Marine Aircraft Group 36 will provide direct aerial support to the Marines of 3rd Marine Division and JSDF with a variety of aircraft.

“The mission for 1st [Marine Aircraft Wing] Marines here is to have the opportunity to train outside of Okinawa,” said Marine Corps Maj. Eric M. Landblom, the exercise operations officer for Marine Aircraft Group 36. “The government of Japan allows us the freedom to come and train in other locations. We also have good partnerships with the Air Force and Navy installations to allow us to do this type of training.”

According to Landblom, the squadrons attached to 1st Marine Aircraft Wing will conduct training operations, such as assault support missions, simulated offensive air support and simulated casualty evacuations in Hokkaido.

U.S. Marines and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force troops learn tactical combat casualty care
U.S. Marines and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force troops learn tactical combat casualty care during Northern Viper 2017 in Chitose, Japan, Aug. 14, 2017. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Ally Beiswanger
U.S. Marines and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force troops learn tactical combat casualty care
Recon Marines
U.S. Marines and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force troops learn tactical combat casualty care during Northern Viper 2017 in Chitose, Japan, Aug. 14, 2017. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Ally Beiswanger
Photo By: Sgt. Ally Beiswanger
VIRIN: 170814-M-WW697-806

“We have ranges here that we don’t have in Okinawa,” said Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Marvin M. Magcale, the sergeant major for Marine Aircraft Group 36. “We can utilize the ranges in Hokkaido in ways we couldn’t back in Okinawa. There are ranges nearby for our aircraft to train and conduct live fires by air.”

During the exercise, 3rd Marine Division's mission will be on Hokkaido as the bilateral partner with JSDF’s Northern Army 11th Brigade, Landblom said.

“They will do functional training where they train to learn from each other,” he said. “After, they will do comprehensive training, which we will take what they learned from each other and conduct a force on force operation where they work together to defeat a common enemy.”

Designed to integrate the Marine Corps with the JSDF, Northern Viper allows Marines to identify their weaknesses in order to avoid them in the future, making this exercise a valuable asset to maintaining readiness in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

“This exercise is extremely important because we have very limited opportunities to come together with our Japanese counterparts in a large scale to conduct this type of training,” Harp said. “We need to continue training like this to better protect the region from its adversaries.”

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