Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Thomas Contant | PACIFIC OCEAN (Mar. 7, 2022) Capt. Greg Baker, commodore of Amphibious Squadron...... read more read more
PACIFIC OCEAN (March 12, 2022) – Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 11 took the next step in bilateral integration with counterparts from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), conducting staff talks at sea March 6-10.
Liaison officers (LNO) from the JMSDF Amphibious and Mine Warfare Force (AMWF) visited to discuss future integration opportunities toward the ultimate goal of interchangeability between partner nations.
“True bilateral integration means putting Japanese and American Sailors and Marines on each other’s ships, aircraft and landing craft, learning from each other and accomplishing our mission side-by-side,” said Capt. Greg Baker, PHIBRON 11 Commodore. “Sitting literally elbow-to-elbow with my friend and soon-to-be counterpart, Captain Oyama, was a priceless opportunity to develop our personal and professional relationship, which embodies the spirit of our enduring partnership and gets us one step closer to operating interchangeably.”
The AMWF LNOs integrated into the daily PHIBRON 11 battle rhythm and observed the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s rapid-response planning process, or R2P2, during the MEU’s Maritime Defense Exercise (MDX) with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s 1st Amphibious Rapid Deployment Regiment. R2P2 is how the Navy and Marine Corps “blue-green team” approaches crisis response with expeditionary assets for various missions including foreign humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and embassy reinforcement.
The PHIBRON 11-AMWF team also discussed future integration opportunities, looking for ways to observe and participate in each other’s scheduled exercises.
“We are advancing beyond simply bringing ships or aircraft together in the same body of water or air space and calling it an exercise – we will operate interchangeably, exchanging people across services and platforms to achieve common goals.” said Baker. “Any opportunity to put our Sailors and Marines on Japanese ships, or to have them aboard ours, is a golden opportunity, and having LNOs on each other’s staff every time we exercise together is absolutely necessary.”
Among the common goals discussed during staff talks, Baker said, the AMWF-PHIBRON 11 team want to combine their unique crisis-response capabilities and platforms to become a reassuring presence for those in need of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, a team postured to reach people in need and provide timely assistance on short notice across Japan, anywhere their surface craft can land or their aircraft can fly.
PHIBRON 11 and the JMSDF operate together on a routine basis to complement and learn from each other, supporting enhanced bilateral capability and finding solutions to mutual issues, to the benefit of both nations and the long-standing U.S.-Japan alliance.
Together, the forward-deployed ships of PHIBRON 11 and elements of the 31st MEU are operating as part of the Commander, Task Force 76 composite deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners, and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
| Date Taken: | 03.12.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.08.2022 20:43 |
| Story ID: | 420245 |
| Location: | PACIFIC OCEAN |
| Web Views: | 49 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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