CAMP HANSEN, Okinawa, Japan–During Resolute Dragon 26, Marines with 7th Communication Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, took part in bilateral training with the Western Army System Signal Group, Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force on June 24-25, 2026, at Camp Kengun, Kumamoto, Japan. The aim of this bilateral training was to increase interoperability via a knowledge exchange between U.S. and Japanese forces.
The training marked the first instance of what 7th Communication Battalion leadership described as bilateral Command, Control, Cyber, Communications (C4) unit integration. While it represented a culmination of nearly a year’s worth of planning and bilateral coordination with JGSDF partners, leaders also viewed the events as the foundation for future communication training with allied partners.
“I don’t think we can overstate the value of this kind of bilateral training and integration,” said Capt. William Dooley, the company commander of Bravo Company,7th Comm Bn, when sharing his perspective as the officer in charge of the bilateral period of instruction. “This not only develops our communications Marines, but it prepares us to support each other as partner nations in the event of conflict or humanitarian operations.”
Airmen with the 224th Joint Communications Support Squadron also participated in this training. The systems transmission and satellite communications operators of the three units worked closely together to share knowledge and test the ability to work together for bilateral communication purposes.
This training began with a day of instruction and practice in building each other’s field-expedient communication systems. The following day was committed to testing bilateral communications capabilities, or the ability to exchange information between different transmission systems used by each of the respective units.
One of the instructors was Gunnery Sergeant Cody Lane, a transmissions chief serving as the operations chief for Bravo Company, 7th Comm Bn.
“It was phenomenal to work together,” recalled Gunnery Sergeant Lane. “During the joint antennae construction practice, I remember thinking that maybe the language barrier or lack of familiarity with each other’s systems might slow us down. But there was no hesitation!”
7th Comm Bn establishes, maintains, and defends communication networks to support command and control in support of IIII MEF and the Joint Force. 7th Comm Bn works closely with our partners and allies to establish integrated bilateral practices that increase interoperability in any environment. Marines within the battalion expressed high hopes to engage in further bilateral training in the near future. Gunnery Sergeant Lane reinforced the sentiment, describing how “every service member was eager and excited to work together; we were quite a team.”