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American, Japanese battle together

Rising Thunder in full swing

Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Division, practice room clearing tactics in a “glass house” during Exercise Rising Thunder. Photo credit: J.M. Simpson

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The staccato of automatic weapons fire filled the still desert air at the Yakima Training Center.

"You're next," 1st Lt. Kenneth Medina, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, said to me as we approached the shoot house on Range 24.

"You can enter with my men and see how well they do as they clear rooms.  Just stay behind the muzzles of their weapons," he added with a smile.

Comprised of numerous and differently configured rooms, Medina's soldiers moved effortlessly and quickly down a darkened hallway, kicking in doors and engaging targets.

Above us on a U-shaped catwalk were a dozen and a half soldiers of the 33rd Regiment, 10th Division, Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF).

"They watch and learn from us," Medina added.

Col. Shoji Shimomoto commands the Japanese forces.

Welcome to the 22nd iteration of Rising Thunder, an annual bilateral exercise between I Corps, 7th Infantry Division and the JGSDF.

"This is actually their training event," said Col. Tong Aguto, deputy commanding officer for 7th ID's operations, in an Army News release.

"It's their event, and we support them."

The exercise furthers the partnership between the U.S. and Japan as it increases army-to-army relationships to meet in any future challenges in the East.

About 500 soldiers from 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, 7th Infantry Division, and the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade are supporting the 250 Japanese soldiers.

The training includes individual, squad, platoon, company, and battalion live-fire exercises culmination with a combined forces live-fire event.

For the first time, the Japanese will focus some of their training on the use of their air assets.

"They want to train with their helicopters in conjunction with artillery," continued Aguto.

"We are conducting aerial gunnery in conjunction with their artillery and their infantry."

But everything with infantry soldiers starts with the basics, and this is the point where the training in the shoot house becomes vital.

"This training is the first building block in the training," Lt. Col. Dan Rayca, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, commander, said outside the shoot house.

"We demonstrate to the JGSDF; they watch us work through the shoot house; it's great to share training and tactics with them."

A squad of Japanese soldiers moved effectively through the maze of rooms and targets.  They seemed pleased with their efforts.

While the JGSDF worked in the shoot house, Staff Sgt. Maurice Roberts continued to drill Medina's soldiers on the finer points of room clearing.

Noticing a need for more speed in bringing firepower to bear on threats, Roberts had the soldiers practice in a glass house.

Constructed outside in the sand of chalk, wooden posts and tape in the outline of a building and the rooms therein, he drilled the soldiers repeatedly.

"The faster you get in and the more barrels in the room, the better," Roberts said.

"Now, let's do it again."

Next year, the 7th ID will participate in  Pacific Pathways exercises scheduled to be held in Thailand, South Korea and the Philippines.

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