thedrifter
02-01-07, 10:48 AM
Marines, visiting Japanese troops combine training
By: JOE BECK - Staff Writer
Marines joined forces with Japanese troops at Camp Pendleton on Wednesday during a water survival lesson, part of a series of training exercises the two nations have been conducting in the area for the last two weeks.
Military officials from both sides said at a news conference they were learning from each other during the exercises, which involve 179 Japanese troops, 50 U.S. Marines and one sailor. Lt. Col. Osamu Churiki, one of the Japanese officers, spoke with the aid of a Japanese translator supplied by the Marines.
Churiki said the training, which is scheduled from Jan. 22 to Feb. 14, allows the Japanese to gain "know-how from experienced US. military forces."
Churiki and other Japanese officers, who also spoke through the translator, said they were especially interested in learning more about fighting in and around islands, one of the Marines' traditional specialties. They said Japan has more than 600 islands, any of which are vulnerable to attack by hostile nations or terrorists.
"The objective of this training is to develop our operational, tactical and combat capabilities" in defending Japanese islands against "attacks by guerillas or special operations forces," Churiki said.
The Japanese are forbidden under their constitution from developing armed forces that can be used for offensive purposes. To underscore the point, they refer to their army as the "Japanese Ground Self Defense Force." This year's training, called "Iron Fist," follows a joint training exercise held with Camp Pendleton Marines last year.
The visiting Japanese said the training was not focused on any one hostile nation or force. Japan has a long, violent history with neighboring North Korea, which has also been involved in a tense standoff with the United States over its production of nuclear weapons and nuclear testing. The Japanese also have had a bloody, centuries-old rivalry with China, a nation some U.S. foreign policy experts also see as a potential threat to the United States.
At Camp Pendleton, about 60 uniformed Japanese troops bobbed about in a pool's 82-degree water, taking turns in cages that were flipped over by Marine instructors. Protective divers stood by as the Japanese troops unstrapped themselves underwater and escaped the cages, or simulated aircrafts. Later, the same exercise was repeated with several Japanese troops and Marine instructors seated in a large metal enclosure that was dipped into the water and turned over.
Lt. Shuichi Kawano, speaking through a translator, called the exercises "very useful, a very good experience."
"If there's any chance, I want come back again for the next exercise," he said.
Marine and Japanese officers said the Japanese are scheduled to practice maneuvers in rubber landing craft and tasks in amphibious landings during their remaining time here.
-- Contact staff writer Joe Beck at (760) 740-3516 or jbeck@nctimes.com. Comment at nctimes.com
Ellie
By: JOE BECK - Staff Writer
Marines joined forces with Japanese troops at Camp Pendleton on Wednesday during a water survival lesson, part of a series of training exercises the two nations have been conducting in the area for the last two weeks.
Military officials from both sides said at a news conference they were learning from each other during the exercises, which involve 179 Japanese troops, 50 U.S. Marines and one sailor. Lt. Col. Osamu Churiki, one of the Japanese officers, spoke with the aid of a Japanese translator supplied by the Marines.
Churiki said the training, which is scheduled from Jan. 22 to Feb. 14, allows the Japanese to gain "know-how from experienced US. military forces."
Churiki and other Japanese officers, who also spoke through the translator, said they were especially interested in learning more about fighting in and around islands, one of the Marines' traditional specialties. They said Japan has more than 600 islands, any of which are vulnerable to attack by hostile nations or terrorists.
"The objective of this training is to develop our operational, tactical and combat capabilities" in defending Japanese islands against "attacks by guerillas or special operations forces," Churiki said.
The Japanese are forbidden under their constitution from developing armed forces that can be used for offensive purposes. To underscore the point, they refer to their army as the "Japanese Ground Self Defense Force." This year's training, called "Iron Fist," follows a joint training exercise held with Camp Pendleton Marines last year.
The visiting Japanese said the training was not focused on any one hostile nation or force. Japan has a long, violent history with neighboring North Korea, which has also been involved in a tense standoff with the United States over its production of nuclear weapons and nuclear testing. The Japanese also have had a bloody, centuries-old rivalry with China, a nation some U.S. foreign policy experts also see as a potential threat to the United States.
At Camp Pendleton, about 60 uniformed Japanese troops bobbed about in a pool's 82-degree water, taking turns in cages that were flipped over by Marine instructors. Protective divers stood by as the Japanese troops unstrapped themselves underwater and escaped the cages, or simulated aircrafts. Later, the same exercise was repeated with several Japanese troops and Marine instructors seated in a large metal enclosure that was dipped into the water and turned over.
Lt. Shuichi Kawano, speaking through a translator, called the exercises "very useful, a very good experience."
"If there's any chance, I want come back again for the next exercise," he said.
Marine and Japanese officers said the Japanese are scheduled to practice maneuvers in rubber landing craft and tasks in amphibious landings during their remaining time here.
-- Contact staff writer Joe Beck at (760) 740-3516 or jbeck@nctimes.com. Comment at nctimes.com
Ellie