With Exercises in Asia, US Army Searches for Relevance
With Exercises in Asia, US Army Searches for Relevance by Anna Fifield, Washington Post
… It’s not war, or even a very close resemblance to war. But in a region of the world where there are enough territorial disputes on the islands surrounding Japan that battle sometimes feels possible, this is an exercise that reveals two military forces looking to redefine their mission. One is American, the other Japanese.
On a recent fall day, with fresh snow on the mountains here on the northern island of Hokkaido, American and Japanese soldiers were learning how to work together with different equipment, different capabilities and different languages.
The Orient Shield exercises, the latest iteration of which were held on this Japanese military base, ended Friday.
They are taking place at a time of immense change for both militaries: the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, as they are officially called, are gearing up to take on a bigger role in the region and expand their capabilities…
