Rising Thunder provides opportunity for bilateral sniper training

Photo By Staff Sgt. Steven Schneider | Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force Sgt. 1st Class Yasuhiro Sayashi, 33rd Infantry Regiment, 10th Division, obtains a target during a sniper range at Yakima Training Center, Wash., Aug. 10. Soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division and 33rd Inf. Regt. were conducting bilateral sniper training.  

YAKIMA TRAINING CENTER, WA, UNITED STATES

08.10.2015

Story by Staff Sgt. Steven Schneider 

5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment   

YAKIMA TRAINING CENTER, Wash. – Soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division and 33rd Infantry Regiment, 10th Division, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force participated in a bilateral sniper range as part of Rising Thunder at Yakima Training Center, Washington, Aug. 10.

The training allowed the Soldiers from each nation to learn from one another and hone their sniper skills of shooting and spotting, said 1st Lt. Eliot Bieletto, 2nd SBCT scout platoon leader.

“Working with the Japanese has been great,” said Spc. Nicholas Triplett, a sniper section leader in Company A, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. “They bring a different twist to their training. They are by the book which really pushes us ... Overall they’re making us really pick up our game because we don’t want anyone to outshine us.”

Rising Thunder is an annual bilateral exercise between the U.S. Army and JGSDF.

• Date Taken: 08.10.2015
• Date Posted: 09.12.2015 12:36
• Story ID: 175852
• Location: YAKIMA TRAINING CENTER, WA, US