Spotlight series on U.S. Army - Okinawa Partnerships: The Southwest Air Defense Missile Group スポットライトシリーズ-沖縄でのパートナーシップ、航空自衛隊南西高射群

Photo By Brian Lamar | Command Sgt. Maj. Koji Tsubone, the senior enlisted advisor for the Southwest Air Defense Missile Group, demonstrates for Sgt. Maj. Maurice Turner with the 10th Support Group during a tour of Naha Air Base.  

NAHA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, JAPAN

11.27.2023

Story by Brian Lamar 

U.S. Army Japan

The 10th Support Group, which is headquartered in Torii Station, Yomitan, Okinawa enjoys various working relationships with local community groups and government organizations including their Japanese military counterparts.
トリイ通信施設を司令部とする第10支援群は地域社会や自衛隊のカウンターパートを含めた日本政府と交流を楽しくやっています。
One of the closest bilateral relationships the 10th SG maintains is with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s Southwest Air Defense Missile Group. The 10th SG has frequent interactions with the SWADMG averaging more than once a month.
第10支援群の最も親しいカウンターパートの１つは航空自衛隊の南西高射群です。南西高射群とは平均して月2回以上の交流があります。
“Even though the SWADMG is an Air Force element within the JSDF, due to the high frequency of interaction we have with our partners with the SWADMG, they feel like a part of our internal Army community. They are our brothers and sisters in arms,” said Lt. Col. Ed Camacho, the 10th Support Group executive officer.
第10支援群司令官補佐カマーチョ　エドワード: 「南西高射群は自衛隊の中では空自となっているが、これまで多くの交流があったため、陸軍内のコミュニティの一部だと感じさえする。家族の一員のようである。」
The SWADMG was established in Okinawa in 1973. Throughout the history of the unit, the main mission continues to be protecting the people of Okinawa from ballistic air attacks with a network of air defense capabilities. Currently, the unit is composed of a battalion headquarters, a patriot operations center, a maintenance and supply company, and four air defense artillery batteries pre-positioned around the Okinawan prefecture.
南西高射群は1973年、沖縄県内に設立されました。今に至るまで、部隊の防空網により継空脅威から沖縄を守り続ける事が、主な任務となっています。現在、当該部隊は沖縄本島に事前配備されている群本部、指揮所運営隊、補給隊及び4部隊の高射隊で構成されています。
According to Col. Koji Yamazaki, the commanding officer of the approximately 600-member SWADMG, Pride of mission and tradition are the cornerstones in the unit’s continued ambition to provide a blanket of protection over Okinawa.
隊員総数600人を超える南西高射群の群司令である山崎浩二一等空佐によると、使命と伝統への誇りが、沖縄全域への防衛に対する継続的な意志となっています。
“We are celebrating our 50th anniversary this year and are focusing our commemorative events reflecting on our history and dedication to our important mission,” Yamazaki said.
山崎1佐: 「我が部隊は今年創立50周年記念を迎えており、部隊の歴史と重要な使命に焦点を当て記念行事を行った。」
Yamazaki attributes the high morale of his unit to training designed to make his servicemembers better technically and tactically and to the cadre of leadership he enjoys in his command. “Every year, we conduct live ammunition exercises at the McGregor Missile Range in New Mexico. These are designed to build or maintain confidence in individual skills and the equipment,” said Yamazaki.
山崎1佐は、隊員の技術的、戦術的向上を目的とした訓練と幹部のリーダーシップにより部隊の士気が高くなっていると考えています。「隊員個人のスキルや装備に対する自信を高めるため、我々は毎年、ニューメキシコ州にあるマクレガー射場で実弾演習を行っている。」
The unit also dispatches personnel, equipment, and vehicles to remote Japanese-owned islands throughout the Pacific. This real-scenario mission keeps SWAMDG servicemembers sharp and reminds them of the gravity of their mission, according to Yamazaki.
「我が部隊はまた、太平洋全域の日本所有の離島にも人員、装備、車両を派遣している。現実的に起こりうるミッションは隊員の意識を高め、ミッションの重要性を再認識させるもとだと考えている。」
Yamazaki feels that constant training, maintenance, and professional development is not an option. “We are one of four air defense missile groups in Japan. Everyone in the unit feels the shared responsibility of this mission. It is my job to continually convey that importance,” he said. According to Yamazaki, the unit’s constant thoughts are to defend against the potential aggression of adversaries’ ballistic threats in the region.
山崎1佐は、継続的な訓練、維持、専門能力の進展を行うだけが部隊の役割ではないと考えています。「我々は日本に4つしかない高射群の1つ。部隊の全員がこの共通の任務の責任を感じている。その重要性を継続させるのが私の仕事だ。」
その共通の任務とは、この地域における敵国の戦術弾道弾を含む継空脅威の潜在的な攻撃を防御することです。
Throughout the last year, the SWADMG has ramped up bilateral engagement with U.S. Army units like the 10th SG and the 1-1 Air Defense Artillery Battalion.
去年から今年にかけて、南西高射群は第10支援群や第1防空砲兵連隊第1大隊などの米陸軍と2国間連携を強化してきました。
“Our Partners at the SWADMG are critical to the 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery mission of ensuring an open and free Indo Pacific through bilateral training, tactics & techniques exchanges, and rehearsals,” said Lt. Col Catalina Rosales, 1-1 ADA’s commanding officer. She added, “1-1 ADA looks forward to hosting Colonel Yamazaki’s team mid-November as we jointly validate an active air defense site here on Okinawa.”
第1防空砲兵連隊第1大隊司令官、ロザレス　カトリーナ中佐: 「我々の部隊と南西高射群とのパートナーシップは、2国間訓練、戦技交流、演習を通して自由で開かれたインド太平洋区域を守ることが使命。
ここ沖縄で防空配置の実効性を共同で検証するため、11月中旬に山崎1佐とチームを迎えるのを楽しみにしている。」
According to Command Sgt. Maj. Koji Tsubone, the senior enlisted advisor for the SWADMG, bilateral engagement adds a lot of horsepower to the fight against would-be-aggressive adversaries. "I think that both Japan and the U.S. need to continue to promote mutual understanding between NCOs and junior enlisted,” Tsubone said.
南西高射群の准曹士先任である坪根孝二准尉は、2国間連携は攻撃な敵国に対し、強力な抑止力になると述べています。「日米両国は下士官と下士官の間での相互理解を深めるべきだ。」とも話しています。
Although the SWADMG’s mission is tactical in nature, many of the bridge-building activities they take part in are focused on forming interpersonal bonds between troops. “We enjoy ruck marching, playing sports, and doing language and cultural exchanges with our U.S. counterparts. We learn a lot about each other and grow closer as colleagues and friends,” Tsubone said.
南西高射群の任務は基本的に戦術的なものですが、多様な日米交流を通して人間関係を築くことにも焦点を当てています。
坪根准尉:「我々はラック行進、スポーツ交流、語学文化交流などを通し日米交流を楽しくやっている。互いの事をより深く知ることで同僚や友人として、互いの成長に繋がっていく。」
”No matter how good a joint operations plan between two counties is, it is the NCO/private that executes it, however, the reality is that there are natural language and cultural differences between the Soldiers in our countries. Constant cooperation and mutual face-to-face exchanges in sports, language exchange, and cultural demonstrations can be used as a stepping stone to erase barriers in many ways,” Tsubone added.
「2国間の共同戦術がどれほど優れていても、実際に遂行するのは下士官がメイン。しかし現実的には言葉や文化の壁があり意思疎通は難しい。なので、色んな形での日米交流は相互理解を深めるのに有効である。」
Although the SWADMG is a Japanese Air Defense Force unit, its mission aligns more with traditional U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery. Tsubone has been placing much of his outreach efforts to Army units due to the compatibility of missions and organizations.
南西高射群は航空自衛隊ですが、任務は伝統的な米陸軍の防空砲に酷似しています。坪根准尉はその適合性を元に、日米交流に心血を注いでいます。
The SWADMG plans to take its relationship with the U.S. Army a step further in the future with bilateral operational deployments of personnel and equipment and future validation of an active air defense site on Okinawa.
南西高射群は将来的に米陸軍との関係を更に一歩深め、人員と装備の2国間作戦展開や、将来の沖縄における防空配置の実効性について検証を行う予定です。

• Date Taken: 11.27.2023
• Date Posted: 11.27.2023 01:17
• Story ID: 458513
• Location: NAHA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, JP