Subscribe
POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, Hawaii — Paratroopers from the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division, completed a Joint Forcible Entry Operation into the volcanic terrain of Hawaii Island on Nov. 5 as part of this year's Arctic Aloha 25.
The operation marked the third consecutive year the brigade has conducted the large-scale joint airborne training on the big Island, reinforcing its role as the U.S. Army’s rapid response airborne force in the Pacific.
“This really demonstrates 2nd Brigade's ability, just like we did at Talisman Sabre, to be able to ISB from multiple locations in the Pacific, converge on a specific point, thousands of miles away, and provide combat power,” said Colonel Brian H. Weightman, commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne). “We can really touch anywhere in the world, approach from the air and achieve effects on the ground. I think it's a pretty impressive deterrent for our adversaries.”
Roughly 445 paratroopers exited six C-17 Globemaster III aircraft over the volcanic island’s Pohakuloa Training Area, descending at a slower pace due to warm updrafts rather than the frigid air they are accustomed to back in Alaska. Among those who leapt from the aircraft were key leaders: Brigadier General John P. Cogbill, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division; Command Sergeant Major David P. Hanson, the division’s senior enlisted advisor; and Weightman himself, who led the operation for his brigade.
“The thing that makes the Spartan Brigade special, unlike any other airborne organization, is that we operate in the Arctic and in the Indo-Pacific,” said Weightman. “That's really from high altitudes in the Arctic to low latitudes at sea level near the equator. From frozen environments to warm environments.”
The operation showcased the brigade's ability to rapidly project combat power across thousands of miles, establish key terrain, and enable follow-on forces under realistic conditions. The jump was the culmination of months of training and preparation. Throughout the summer, the brigade focused on airborne proficiency, field training exercises, and mission planning objectives for leaders in the brigade.
“When it comes to realism in our training, this is the best realistic training that we can get, that we could very well end up doing at a moment's notice,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Brandon E. Justice, senior enlisted advisor for 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, “When you go from 20 degrees to 80 degrees. That is just the mindset and the mental toughness of the Arctic Angels.”
Many of the Spartans have now jumped into Hawaii three years in a row, gaining experience navigating the island’s terrain and refining their tactics with each rotation. Through continual adjustments in equipment preparation, hydration planning, and movement routes for the tropical climate, the brigade has demonstrated steady growth and increased proficiency year after year in executing this exercise.
“They've got to walk uphill for 12 clicks with their combat load and be able to fight once they get to their objective,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Eric Pazz, senior enlisted advisor for 2nd IBCT(Airborne), “That really boils down to the non-commissioned officers doing their job all the way from the first sergeant level all the way down to that individual team leader level, ensuring that every soldier has what they need to have on them to execute the mission.”
Once on the ground, paratroopers moved to their assembly areas at 7,000 feet of elevation, waiting till dusk broke the Pacific's horizon, and then moved in full force uphill to seize Bradshaw Army Airfield. This established a foothold that allowed follow-on forces from the 25th Infantry Division to begin their long-range maritime air assault operation.
The seizure marked the opening phase of the larger Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center rotation 26-01, a theater-level exercise designed to enhance joint interoperability and readiness across the Indo-Pacific.
Weightman explained that following their support of the 3rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, his brigade will regroup and prepare for another joint forcible entry, this time staging from Oahu. As JPMRC 26-01 continues, the Spartans prepare for their return north, a journey of nearly 3,000 miles back to subzero temperatures and snow-covered terrain of Alaska’s wilderness. Upon arrival, they will once again take to the skies and parachute into Malemute Drop Zone at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
| Date Taken: | 11.06.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.18.2025 19:17 |
| Story ID: | 551457 |
| Location: | POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 12 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Arctic Angels Descend upon JPMRC 26-01, by SPC Brandon Vasquez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
