Alaska’s single largest annual military training exercise, Northern Edge, began today and runs through June 26, with more than 9000 active duty and reserve U.S. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines taking part in the joint training both on and above the Central Alaska Ranges and the Gulf of Alaska.
As reported in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, there will be more than 200 aircraft taking part, to include the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis and her 70- plus aircraft air wing.
The regularly scheduled exercise allows U.S. military units to train in a joint environment and perfect tactics, techniques and procedures, while improving command, control and communication relationships associated with joint operations.
Alaska’s size enables the military to have the largest air-ground training complex in the United States.
U.S. Pacific Command-sponsored training exercises such as Northern Edge are designed to increase proficiency and provide effective, flexible, and capabilities-centered joint forces ready for deployment worldwide.
Keep up with the exercise on the Northern Edge website, Flicrk, and Twitter.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Joint Exercise Northern Edge Begins in Alaska
Friday, June 12, 2009
U.S. Navy Ship Supports JPAC Mission in Vietnam
The oceanographic survey ship USNS Bruce C. Heezen has joined the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command’s (JPAC) latest mission in Vietnam, marking the first time a U.S. Navy ship has been used to search for underwater wreckage off the coast of Vietnam.
As noted by the Associated Press, nearly 1,336 U.S. servicemen are still unaccounted for in Vietnam.
A joint JPAC-Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP) team embarked Heezen June 11 to investigate underwater crash sites off the Vietnam coast. The JPAC mission, the 95th in Vietnam since the 1980s, began May 25 and runs through June 24.
A June 8 Joint Statement on U.S.-Vietnam Political, Security and Defense Dialogue released by the U.S. State Department highlights the increasingly cooperative relationships between the U.S. and Vietnam.
Likewise, U.S. Pacific Command’s military-to-military relationship with Vietnam continues to grow. As recently as last week, a delegation from Vietnam visited Hawaii to observe a hurricane response exercise and meet with Pacific military leaders. This week, three Vietnamese Navy officers are observing the Singapore phase of the maritime security exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT).
Heezen’s participation in JPAC’s mission in Vietnam is the latest example of expanding cooperation, and could significantly speed up the discovery of crash sites, according to a JPAC news release.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Pacific Partnership Gearing Up Social Media for Mission
As Pacific Partnership makes its way through Oceania over the next four months, social media will play a key role in telling the story of the annual, U.S. Pacific Fleet-sponsored humanitarian mission.
Set to begin later this month and conducted from USNS Richard E. Byrd, Pacific Partnership will travel to Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Tonga.
Through the Pacific Partnership blog, and with a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr (including a Flicrk group), and its portals on the Pacific Fleet and Navy websites, new audiences will be introduced to the mission and will have an opportunity to interact with the mission staff and participants.
Pacific Partnership works by, with and through host and partner nations, non-governmental organizations and other U.S. Government agencies to execute a variety of humanitarian civic assistance projects.
Thousands have benefitted from Pacific Partnership since its inception in 2006 when it operated from the hospital ship USNS Mercy, and was known as the Mercy Mission.
In addition to providing humanitarian civic assistance, missions such as Pacific Partnership provide valuable opportunities to build relationships and to learn from mission partners. These types of experiences also help ensure a smoother assimilation of U.S. military support into disaster and civil relief efforts when the need arises.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Annual Maritime Exercise with Singapore Underway
The 15th annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise between the U.S. Navy and Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) kicked off June 8 in Singapore.
As reported by the Straits Times, approximately 1,500 personnel, dozens of aircraft and ships from both navies are taking part. For the first time in the exercise’s history, submarines from both navies will be operating together in a submarine tracking event.
The exercise began with a ceremony at the RSN’s Changi Naval Base. The Singapore Ministry of Defence has posted a video report on the exercise’s opening.
CARAT is a series of bilateral exercises held annually in the Southeast Asia region. The purpose of the exercise series, in keeping with the U.S. Pacific Command strategy, is to improve cooperation and interoperability with each CARAT partner in a variety of mission areas of mutual benefit.
Exercises such as CARAT improve partnership and readiness among regional nations to effectively respond to crises.
For more on CARAT, visit the exercise website.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Remembering the Battle of Midway
Sixty-seven years ago this week, the Battle of Midway, considered the decisive battle of the war in the Pacific, was fought near the Central Pacific island of Midway.
Adm. Chester Nimitz, who was commander-in-chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet at the time, and a namesake of U.S. Pacific Command’s Nimitz-MacArthur Command Center headquarters building, called the June 4-7, 1942 battle “A glorious page in our history.”
The Naval Historical and Heritage Center website includes an extensive overview of the battle.
Each year at this time, the U.S. Navy leads commemorations to recognize the sacrifice and accomplishments of those who fought, Navy heritage, and the strategic significance of the battle.
From the Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. to Yokosuka, Japan, where U.S. and Japanese Sailors recognize the anniversary side-by-side, a pause is taken to reflect on a past that will not be forgotten.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Vietnam Military Delegation Visits Hawaii, Explores Response Capabilities
A delegation of military officers from Vietnam is visiting Hawaii this week to observe hurricane exercise Makani Pahili 2009, receive briefings, and witness demonstrations associated with search and rescue (SAR) and disaster management capabilities of the U.S. military, Hawaii National Guard and U.S. Coast Guard.
The delegation, led by Lt. Gen. Tran Quang Khue, standing vice chairman of the Vietnam National Search and Rescue Committee, arrived in Hawaii June 1 and its itinerary includes discussions with U.S. military officials from Pacific Command (PACOM), senior leaders from PACOM’s service component commands, the Hawaii National Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as visits to various military facilities.
Lt. Gen. Khue and his delegation were received at the PACOM headquarters June 2 with a military honors ceremony – headed by Adm. Timothy Keating, PACOM’s commander – that included the playing of the Vietnam and U.S. national anthems by the Pacific Fleet Band.
SAR and disaster management operations, which includes humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, presents an opportunity for military forces from nations throughout the region to assist one another in support of civil authorities, when needed.
PACOM is continually exploring opportunities to strengthen and expand the U.S. military-to-military relationship with the armed forces of Vietnam, which includes occasional port visits by U.S. Navy ships, joint professional exchanges and visits, and mutual participation in multinational exercises and training events.
Monday, June 1, 2009
English Education Workshop Part of Comprehensive Approach to Philippines Counter-terror Effort
A recent Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)-sponsored English education workshop in the Southern Philippines is an example of a continuing focus on increasing opportunities for those in areas traditionally affected by violent extremism.
A Philippine Information Agency news release explains the English program, designed to support a Philippines initiative to strengthen English as a second language in the nation’s education system.
At the request of the Government of the Philippines, approximately 600 U.S. service members are deployed to the Southern Philippines in an advisory role in support of the Philippines’ effort to eliminate terrorist safe-havens by increasing the capacity of the AFP, and through civic and humanitarian projects in coordination with other U.S. and Philippine Government agencies.
During his May 30 remarks at the Shangri-La Dialogue Asia security summit in Singapore, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stressed the value of a defense strategy that places ever greater emphasis on capacity building and a mix of so-called “hard” and “soft” elements of national power – where military, diplomatic, economic, cultural, and humanitarian elements are integrated seamlessly.
The Pacific Command (PACOM) Strategy links PACOM activities and operations, such as those conducted in the Philippines and throughout Asia-Pacific, to U.S. Government policy and the strategic objectives outlined by Secretary Gates.
Secretary Gates visited the Philippines June 1, following the Shangri-La Dialogue, and reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to supporting the Philippines’ efforts to defeat terrorists and extremists.
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