Photo By Joseph Siemandel | Guard members from the 141st Military History Detachment pose for a photo with...... read more read more
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For two weeks in December, more than 7,000 service members from the United States, Australia, Japan, and numerous partner nations participated in Yama Sakura 87 at Camp Asaka, Japan.
Among them were members of the Washington National Guard, including the 144th Digital Liaison Detachment, 141st Military History Detachment, and 56th Theater Information Operations Group. Their primary focus was building relationships with partner nations while testing their ability to conduct operations across the Pacific.
“YS-87 enhanced U.S., Japan, and Australian combat readiness and interoperability, while strengthening relationships and demonstrating U.S. resolve to support the security interests of allies in the region,” said Lt. Col. Michael Camerota, operations officer for the 56th Theater Information Operations Group.
Since its inception in 1982, Yama Sakura has consistently demonstrated the United States' and Japan’s commitment to working together as dedicated allies in support of the U.S.-Japan security treaty. It also aims to promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. This year’s iteration of the exercise was particularly noteworthy, as it included several firsts: the first U.S. Army Warfighter exercise held in Japan and the first Warfighter exercise conducted concurrently with Yama Sakura.
Camerota led a team of eight information operations (IO) professionals to Japan, augmenting the I Corps G39 directorate in executing the dual command post exercises, Yama Sakura 87 and Warfighter 25-02. Guard members were distributed across the two exercises and various locations.
“The Information Operations Network (ION) was critical to the training value for IO personnel,” said Camerota. “It allowed us to identify information considerations within the operational environment, which informed deliberate and dynamic planning efforts. The network also served as a feedback mechanism, providing measures of effectiveness indicators. Without ION’s scenario injects and environmental reflections, the IO training value of these exercises would have been marginal.”
For the 141st Military History Detachment (MHD), Yama Sakura 87 provided a unique mission.
“The 141st worked closely with the Center for Military History and the Center for Army Lessons Learned to document this historic exercise,” said Maj. Brendan Shallow, commander of the 141st MHD. “This was the 44th iteration and the largest and most complex to date. We focused on innovations and key elements that made this event unique, including the addition of the warfighter exercise via I Corps and the participation of units from multiple locations across Japan and the Pacific, including Alaska and JBLM.”
The 141st’s mission included a two-person team at Camp Asaka, Japan, tasked with collecting documents, conducting interviews, and coordinating with various stakeholders on key topics requested by the INDOPACOM chief historian. Simultaneously, another two-person team operated at JBLM to document the involvement of units outside mainland Japan in the training exercise. They gathered critical documents and interviewed planners and subject matter experts.
“This was an exciting opportunity,” said Shallow. “While not a complete unit validation, it allowed the 141st to train as we would operate if deployed. We developed our systems and processes, honed skills like oral history interviews, and networked with major military history stakeholders.”
The exercise concluded with a closing ceremony on December 14, 2024. Participants reflected on the significance of their contributions.
“This Yama Sakura exercise was more important than ever,” said Camerota. “Its trilateral nature is a key component of the competition phase of multi-domain operations.”
| Date Taken: | 01.22.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.22.2025 13:55 |
| Story ID: | 489477 |
| Location: | CAMP MURRAY, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 34 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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