AIBANO, Japan -- Marines from 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division and the Japan Ground Self Defense Force 8th Infantry Regiment, 13th Brigade participated in their final field training exercise, concluding Exercise Forest Light at Camp Aibano, Shiga Prefecture, Feb. 27 to March 1.
This annual bilateral cold-weather exercise allowed Marines and JGSDF to practice their combat survival skills in icy weather, snow and frozen terrain. The exercise offered both forces a chance to exchange tactical skills and learn from each other.
“The FTX is to test the unit’s ability with the Japanese after receiving nine days of cold weather field training,” said 1st Sgt. Donald Hoover, Company, 1/23 first sergeant and native of Yukon, Okla. “During the FTX, the Marines are faced with hiking in steep terrain and training in Military Operations in Urban Terrain.”
During the first day of the exercise, the Marines and Japanese soldiers hiked out to the first bivouac site with their snow shoes wrapped tightly around their nippy toes.
“Walking in snow shoes is not much different than walking in boots except your feet are two feet long,” said Staff Sgt. Gene J. Zilske, Headquarters Company 1/23 communication chief. “Every piece of brush you walk over is trying to trip you. Add to that; mountainous terrain and a stream crossing, and you can see how these Texas Marines got the full winter experience.”
Once the Marines made it to the site, they setup up a 360-degree fighting position in freezing weather. The Marines took out shovels and built defensive positions, which included a seven foot barrier of packed snow. According to Sgt. Noah Hunsaker, mountain warfare instructor and native of Cedaredge, Colo., the barrier is designed to stop a bullet from 50 meters.
“When building a fighting position in the snow you are going to get tired a lot faster, because its colder and your body uses more energy to keep its core temperature up,” said Lance Cpl. Eric Hults, rifleman and native of Potsdam, N.Y.
Finally when the third day came, the frozen devil dogs and their allied counter parts, conducted an assault on MOUT town. The simulated urban environment was heavily defended by Japanese soldiers acting as enemy soldiers.
During the simulated firefight, the Marines and Japanese soldiers rushed from house to house and cleared all the rooms and enemies that stood in their way.
“Rushing through MOUT town gave me a motivated adrenaline rush,” said Lance Cpl. Juan Casaneda, 1/23 rifleman. “The assault gave me a flashback of Iraq, since that was what we were doing during operation Iraqi Freedom in the city of Hit. My favorite part of the MOUT was when we assaulted the house, busted down the door and cleared all the rooms.”
During MOUT, the JGSDF learned new combat skills from the Marines because of their experiences in Iraq, explained Gunnery Sgt. Larry Long, 1/23 Charlie Company training chief.
“In the tunnels of MOUT, the Japanese were still using hand and arm signals after the first shot,” said Long and native of Clovis, N.M. “We showed them how to be aggressive and yell during the firefight, which causes confusion in the enemy, creating the fear of the unknown.”
After the three-day training ordeal, the Marines and Japanese soldiers hiked a total of four miles through snow and ice and had successfully practiced cold weather survival, defense techniques and offensive maneuvers.
“At first it was hard training with the Japanese because of the language barrier,” said Lance Cpl. Jose Franco, field radio operator and native of Corpus Christi, Texas. “But in the end we communicated by using hand gestures and just knowing each other’s tactics.”
“The training was a great success,” said Capt. William Creamer, 1/23 Company commanding officer. “My Marines were able to work on combat skills and were given a great opportunity to train with another culture. The Japanese were very disciplined and trained for perfection.”