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Foreword

Regional
Security  ::

Strength Through Friendship in COBRA GOLD 2007

India-Japan-U.S. Forces Train at Sea in MALABAR/TRILATEX 2007

Enhancing the Australia-U.S. Military Alliance in TALISMAN SABER 2007

Perspectives  ::

PACOM: Moving the Throttle Forward in the Pacific

Humanitarian
Assistance  ::

Indonesian and U.S. Armies Promote Regional Stability in GARUDA SHIELD 2007

Special Interest  ::

Bridging Borders Through Military Medicine

Happenings  ::

Happenings

Field-Training Phase

Amphibious Assault Exercise
On the opening day of the field-training exercise, a full sweep of ship-to-shore movements by sea-based platforms brought Australian soldiers and U.S. Marines to the beaches of Shoalwater Bay Training Area. Helicopter insertions, assault amphibious vehicles, and landing craft utilities were used in the landing. “The execution of the landing was flawless, with safety being paramount in its completion,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Anthony J. Pachuta.

Once on the ground, the two forces worked from a combined operating center. Ships provided logistical support to ground forces via aerial sorties launched from ships.

At the combined operations space, or flag plot, aboard USS Essex, the staffs of both navies worked to coordinate movements of up to six Australian ships, six U.S. ships and multiple aircraft and landing craft. Responsibilities included overseeing water and air-space management and logistics as well as maintaining the command tactical picture and communication circuits.

“We are one team. The level of integration and coordination between planners as the exercise progressed ensured that we were all operating with the same level of understanding,” said Capt. Pachuta.

“We have relied on each other to get the job done,” noted Australian Navy WO Kevin Hooper. “I am impressed by the professionalism that I observed on the watch floor and by the energy and spirit of our combined watch team. We got along excellently.”

With amphibious ships and landing craft working in tandem at night, the Amphibious Task Force successfully put nearly 2,500 ground forces from task force ships to the Shoalwater Bay Training Area. The troop movement reflected the combined Australian-U.S. strike-from-the-sea capabilities between naval and ground forces. The goal was to defeat a fictitious enemy and restore stability in the area.

“We executed our core competency, which is amphibious operations,” said Capt. Pachuta. “The combined effort here was phenomenal, displayed in the integration of command and control watch teams and the landing craft, which cross-assisted in achieving the ship-to-shore movement. Throughout the sea echelon, ships and assets have put in long hours and still have found ways to successfully complete all amphibious taskings.”

The Scenario
The battle scenario revolved around two opposing armies. The blue force comprised U.S. Marines and Australian forces and formed Combined Task Force Legais. Other U.S. Marines and U.S. Army and Navy personnel comprised the red force – the fictional “Kamarian” military.

The Kamarian red force moved a large military contingent into the neighboring country of Legais (Shoalwater Bay Training Area). Among other human rights violations, the Kamarians were accused of genocide, promoting international terrorism, and supporting the overthrow of the legitimate Legais government to establish a Kamarian-sponsored dictatorship.

The United Nations Security Council mandated the notional blue force to take all necessary measures to remove the Kamarians from Legais. Once that was accomplished, the blue force was to restore the constitutional monarchy that had ruled the country since its independence from Australia in 1968.

The blue force conducted an amphibious landing at Freshwater Beach on the northeast coast of Australia in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area and moved inland. Simultaneously, they launched an airborne assault at a drop zone in the northwestern section of the training area. The red force mounted opposition from the air, land and sea. At sea, a major battle took place between the red and blue force ships in the Coral Sea and Shoalwater Bay concurrently.

While the blue forces had a significant advantage in personnel and equipment, the red forces aggressively defended Legais with all available assets and current-day tactics.

The troops faced almost constant rain during the entire force-on-force phase. The mud was ankle-deep in parts of the Military Operation in Urban Terrain. That terrain included Camp Raspberry, a simulated city in Shoalwater Bay Training Area used to conduct urban warfare.

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