By Lance Cpl. David Rogers
3rd Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs
CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan — Marines from Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division and soldiers with the 6th Infantry Regiment, 5th Brigade, Japan Ground Self Defense Force conducted squad- and platoon-sized combat training March 7-8 at the Yausubetsu Maneuver Area, Hokkaido, Japan.
The CAB Marines worked with Japanese soldiers to improve interoperability between the forces during the bilateral exercise Forest Light II Feb. 29 to March 13.
Forest Light is a semi-annual exercise between the U.S. and Japan. Forest Light I takes place in the fall and Forest Light II takes place in the winter and focuses on cold weather training.
During the squad training March 7, the Marines and soldiers staged games of capture the flag. They formed 12 integrated squads with Japanese soldiers and Marines. The squads matched up against one another in a race toward flags in the center of the simulated battlefield.
The Marines and soldiers picked each other off with Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement Systems, or MILES gear, which consists of laser systems attached to weapons and receptors worn to detect impacts.
"The Japanese squad leader and I coordinated how his squad was going to come up and attack while one of my fire teams laid down fire for them," said Cpl. Jason Samford, a platoon sergeant with Combat Engineer Company, CAB, describing how the Japanese and Americans worked together during the capture-the-flag training.
The following day, Marines and soldiers conducted platoon-sized training, taking turns practicing offensive and defensive operations. Each platoon of Marines and Japanese soldiers had to conduct a two-kilometer movement to an objective and assault the defensive position set up by one of the other platoons.
After the battle, Marine and Japanese leaders discussed ways to improve their combined operations on the battlefield. Japanese soldiers asked questions about improving logistical coordination while Marine leaders discussed ways to improve communication between platoons fighting within the same area of operations.
"The JGSDF doesn't have experience in real warfare," said JGSDF 2nd Lt. Masahito Fukayama, a platoon commander with the 6th Infantry Regiment, 5th Brigade. "But Marines are successful in a lot of battles, so they have a better understanding of real combat."