Cope North 2015 kicks off at Andersen

Photo By Master Sgt. Melissa White | Japan Air Self-Defense Force Master Sgt. Kazuyuki Kinoshita, emergency medical technician, evaluates an aeromedical evacuation patient at Sinapalo, Rota, Feb. 16, 2015, prior to takeoff. Exercise Cope North 15 enhances humanitarian assistance and disaster relief crisis response capabilities between six nations and lays the foundation for regional cooperation expansion during real-world contingencies in the Asia-Pacific Region. (U.S. Air force photo by Staff Sgt. Melissa B. White/Released)  

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GUAM

02.16.2015

Story by Melissa White 

36th Wing

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam - This year marks the 86th iteration of the multilateral training exercise which is a long-standing, multinational event designed to increase interoperability, improve combat readiness, and develop a synergistic disaster response capability between the countries involved.

“It’s important so that we can learn from each other,” said U.S. Air Force Col. David Mineau, U.S. Air Force Cope North exercise director. “All of our forces have strengths and weak areas, but coming together, we can hone our abilities by listening to each other, increasing our interoperability and sharing techniques, tactics and procedures to make us more effective and to promote peace and stability in the region …”

The exercise has two main objectives overall including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief training involving air base opening and aeromedical evacuations, and also an air combat training portion which includes air-to-air and air-to-ground combat and a large force employment exercise.

There are approximately 2,000 military members participating in Cope North this year from the United States, Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand and Philippines, as well as observers from the Singapore and Vietnam air forces. There are also nearly 100 aircraft from 23 different flying units within the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and Republic of Korea Air Force involved in the exercise operations. This year is the first time the Royal New Zealand Air Force and Philippines Air Force are participating in Cope North to engage in the HA/DR portion of the exercise.

“I’m so excited to be part of Cope North,” said JASDF Capt. Yasuhiro Kimura, Cope North public affairs officer. “This is a very good learning experience and it’s very important for us to work together with other countries.”

Andersen AFB started hosting Cope North annually in 1999, but the event was previously held in Japan up until that point as often as four times per year. The next Cope North exercise is slated for early 2016.

• Date Taken: 02.16.2015
• Date Posted: 02.17.2015 16:44
• Story ID: 154634
• Location: ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GU