SENDAI, Japan, - With tired feet, sore backs and weary hearts, Soldiers from the South Carolina Army National Guard prepared to wrap up Exercise North Wind 2010 and leave the Ojojibara Maneuver Area in Japan to head home.
"I wish we had more than two weeks to train with the Japanese Army," said Sgt. 1st Class Sammie Robertson, whose sentiments were echoed by many Soldiers assigned to the 1-118th Combined Arms Battalion (CAB) as they prepared to depart from the exercise held Feb. 8-19.
The purpose of the unit's deployment was twofold; to train the Guard members and the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) and to build camaraderie and confidence between the two forces.
"Japan is our ally. They are on our side and on our team. This deployment allows me to get my Soldiers out of the same routine and provides some adventure for them," said Lt. Col. Michael Krell, commander of the 1-118th CAB.
In addition to receiving essential cold-weather training from the Japanese, U.S. Soldiers shared their knowledge of nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) warfare survival training and combat life saving. Many of the Guard members also exchanged patches and rank insignia with Japanese soldiers.
"By building these relationships, if we are ever on the battlefield together, we will know each other's capabilities and can say we've trained with these guys and know what they can do," said Krell.
"I believe the biggest thing we are doing here is building trust," said Command Sgt. Maj. Roger Watson. "This will help build trust with our militaries because you never know when we are going to be on the battlefield together."
Watson said the cold weather training was one of the biggest benefits of the mission and on past deployments they saw strong variances in temperature.
Another important aspect of the training consisted of a company movement to contact. The Soldiers moved in a coordinated attack with the Japanese Army and took out an enemy. Each element had its own type of formation; the U.S. used a "wedge" formation where the Japanese used a "hishigata (diamond)" formation. The basic idea was the same - move from one point to the next while keeping a secure perimeter.
"I loved the training," said Pvt. Marcus Debord, a Bradley fighting vehicle driver. "This is a great place to train and a once in a lifetime experience."
Krell said the movements gave them an opportunity to work through the language barrier and although their techniques may be a little different, the goals are the same. He added many Soldiers felt the effects of the foot movements on their knees, using bandages and pain medication, but overall they loved the experience.
"It is a totally different animal than doing regular woodland-type training in the spring or summer time," said Spc. Billy Hanby, rifleman and Bradley fighting vehicle driver with the 1-118th CAB. "You have to make sure you are drinking a lot of water because even though you don't sweat as much, you have to keep hydrated."
Soldiers also had to make sure they didn't overheat and sweat because of the risk of hypothermia. Changing socks became a regular routine to keep their feet from getting cold.
Although the Soldiers were able to visit a local Buddhist temple and enjoy a local Japanese restaurant, most agreed there was so much more they wanted to see and explore during their time in Japan. Coincidently, many also discovered the difference in "wait" times from ordering and receiving food in Japan. Unlike in American restaurants, food routinely takes over 30 minutes until it is received after ordering.
"I believe this has been a wonderful experience for our guys," said Hanby. "Some of us have been overseas before, but for some this was the first trip out of the U.S."
Some friendly competition was also held between the two forces. One day, there was a marksmanship competition where Soldiers shot 10 rounds at 300 meter targets in less than 25 seconds. In the evening, colorful origami shuruken (paper ninja stars) were thrown at targets for prizes.
"Our Soldiers and their soldiers had the opportunity to get together to build bonds and relationships," said Krell. "I think these guys are surprised by what they learned about their counterparts and the culture here."
Troop morale was high during the mission, in large part because of the hard work of the 505th Logistics Task Force (LTF), whose motto, "Proud to Pump," says it all. Their typical mission is to provide fuel and service pipelines, so the deployment to Japan was a little out of their normal job description.
On this mission, the 505th LTF not only provided food and fuel, but set-up a Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) room, which had internet access, a few laptop computers and movies, including a showing of "Avatar."
"The 505th has done an incredible job of making sure we had what we needed and made us comfortable," said Hanby.
"These guys (from the 505th LTF) have gone above and beyond the call of duty," said Watson. "Someone who does this every day could not have done a better job than they have done. I'm really impressed."
Although many Soldiers were ready to get back home and see their families after being away for two weeks, many wanted to stay a while longer.
"I'm a little disappointed about leaving," said Hanby. "I would really love to see more of the culture and hope we can continue to build friendships and relationships in the future. This has been a very positive experience."
Watson said Operation North Wind was one of the best short exercises he has ever participated in. "We packed every day with something to do," he said. "Our Soldiers will take this experience in Japan with them for the rest of their lives."