MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWANUNI, Japan -- Rifles were issued out and Auxiliary Security Force service members patrolled the streets after the word was given that the station was under attack.
At the same time, Provost Marshal’s Office and Special Reaction Team Marines raced to the commissary where an active shooter held up to 10 people hostage.
Although both situations were Exercise Total Shield scenarios, station personnel reacted to them as real-world events where time and communication were essential.
Station military personnel and members of the 46th Regiment, 13th Brigade of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force from Camp Kaitaichi, brought the weeklong exercises Total Shield and Active Shield 2010 to a close here Feb. 25.
Maj. Grant Killmer, exercise Total Shield officer-in-charge, said Total Shield was meant to test the station’s ability to defend itself against terrorist attacks while Active Shield improved on the interoperability of U.S. and Japanese forces here.
Exercise Total Shield was planned out by senior station personnel who operated scenarios out of a room referred to as white cell.
White cell members tested the station’s defense through active shooters, suspicious vessel probing, sabotage of mission-essential areas, waterborne rocket attacks and many other scenarios.
“(This year) we tried to find some new ways to (test) the emergency operations center,” said Killmer. “We set up some different scenarios which caused them to really have to think.”
Although the scenarios tested the abilities of the station as a whole, they also tested the abilities of each individual service member.
“The individual Marine and sailor has to appreciate that they are part of a bigger organism, a bigger mechanism that without them would fail,” said Lt. Cmdr. Keith Applegate, white cell officer-in-charge and senior exercise controller. “There is no such thing as an unimportant rifleman. There is no such thing as an unimportant watch stander because each person, no matter how minute that role is or seemingly minute that role is, is important to the greater cause and to the greater organization.”
All involved in the exercise realized proper communication and fast response time was crucial in responding to each scenario.
“We‘ve learned, as with every training evolution, that there are things we do very well and things we have to improve upon,” said Applegate. “We’ve learned that we have to improve upon our communications. We’ve learned that we need to be able to react and respond in a more organized manner.”
Just as exercise Total Shield taught the participating service members several lessons, exercise Active Shield had its own lessons for both U.S. and Japanese forces.
“My observation of the exercise has reassured me of our face to face relationship which has been built over the past 10 exercises in eight years,” said Col. Atsushi Ide, JGSDF 46th Regiment commanding officer. “We still have room for improvement with regards to information accuracy and promptness; thus, we need to review our reporting procedures.”
Ide also observed mutual understanding as an important outcome of the exercises.
“In the past half century, we recognized the differences between our two armed forces, made compromises and accomplished our missions,” said Ide. “Mutual understanding at the unit level requires constant work; therefore, I consider this exercise important not only to improve our security capabilities but also as a great opportunity to reinforce mutual understanding, and I do think there is a definite need to continue this exercise in the future.”