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Black Knights arrive in land down under

21 Jul 2011 | Cpl. Claudio A. Martinez Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan

American and Australian forces throughout Queensland, the Northern Territory and neighboring naval areas kicked off exercise Talisman Sabre 2011 July 11.

Talisman Sabre is a biennial exercise designed to test and improve on the Australian and American forces’ ability to conduct joint and combined task force operations.

The exercise focuses on improving the combat readiness and interoperability of participating units, and also helps to improve their ability to effectively respond to an area in need of humanitarian assistance.

Iwakuni-based Marine Aircraft Group 12 Headquarters, Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12, Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, Marine Attack Squadron 214 and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 service members arrived here in support of the exercise.

Okinawa-based service members with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152, Marine Wing Communication Squadron 18 and Marine Air Control Squadron 4 are also slated to participate in the exercise.

“It’s important for us to do this training with the Australians because we are partners for a better world,” said Lt. Col. Waylan Cain, VMFA-314 commanding officer. “We go out and we are working together in Afghanistan, we are working together in Iraq, and we are partners in many combined operations throughout the world.”

More than 355 Japan-based American service members are scheduled to participate in the exercise and more than 15 aircraft are planning approximately 150 sorties out of the flight line here.

“There are a lot of things the (service members) can get out of this experience,” said Cain. “The big thing is combat readiness.”

During the exercise, the Marines plan to conduct simulated strikes, basic air-to-surface ordnance delivery, lowaltitude tactics and individual unit training.

The Marines are also planning to use more than 500,000 pounds of ordnance during the various training scenarios.

Also throughout the exercise, VMFA-314 plans on sharpening their skills in providing closeair- support for the Australian and American forces conducting ground operations in other areas of Australia.

“Close-air-support is one of those skill sets that if you don’t work it often, it’s something that fades quickly,” said Maj. Brian Dennis, VMFA-314 operations officer. “It’s something we’re going to try and get a lot of repetitions out here with and do as much as we can.

“It’s that detailed integration of the ground-combat-forces and that aircraft up there giving them the support they need,” said Dennis.

Some of the challenges the service members said they see on the horizon during the exercise include maintaining the lines of communication and the logistics involved in replacing parts on an aircraft.

Getting used to the different environment was also named as a small challenge to overcome.

“I think as long as people are in their lanes blocking and tackling, I think in standard Marine fashion we’re going to execute (the mission),” said Dennis. “This is what we do best — expeditionary operations.”

“We can land on the moon, and we bring everything we need to fight for 30 to 60 days. That’s what we are practicing here, expeditionary operations,” he said.

Dennis said he believes this year’s Talisman Sabre is going to be a phenomenal training evolution which will afford everyone a great opportunity to learn and forge stronger working relationships.

Many of the Australian service members felt the same way their American counterparts felt about the exercise.

“Talisman Sabre is a very important exercise to both the Americans and to the Australians because it represents one of those great opportunities we have to exercise together in a manner that emulates our current operations abroad and also our other operations in the Pacific, specifically our humanitarian relief efforts,” said Australian Wing Commander Stewart Dowrie, 38 Squadron commanding officer and acting base commander. “It’s a great opportunity for us to work together side-by-side in an environment that prepares us for those operations.”

Dowrie said he has had a long experience working with the American forces and feels fantastic about working with them again.

Talisman Sabre 2011 is scheduled to run until July 29.