Exercise PACIFIC BOND involved an exchange of company-size units between Australia and the U.S. for cross-training in each other's country. Here, Australian soldiers train in urban warfare.

In October and November 1996, a company of Australian Army soldiers trained on the U.S. mainland and in the state of Hawaii, while a company of U.S. soldiers trained in Australia. This bilateral exchange is code-named Exercise PACIFIC BOND. The Australian exchange company was Company D, 2nd Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment (RAR). The U.S. unit was Company C, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment of the Hawaii-based 25th Infantry Division (Light).

The 107 members of Australian Company D were attached to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade of the 25th Division. The Australian soldiers deployed with the 2nd Battalion from Hawaii to Fort Polk, Louisiana for a rigorous exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center. There the Australians and Americans trained against the formidable Opposing Forces (OPFOR) of the Joint Readiness Training Center.

"It's a rare opportunity for us to get top training," said Australian Army Maj. Clay J. Sutton, D Company commander. "We feel privileged."

The PACIFIC BOND exercises are coordinated between Headquarters, U.S. Army Pacific and Headquarters, Australian Land Force. The exercise brings RAR rifle companies to Hawaii and "Lightfighter" companies from the 25th Infantry Division (Light) to Australia for training and Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) exchanges.

"The whole idea behind PACIFIC BOND is the cross training and working relations between the American and the Australian Forces," said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Johann Perera, executive officer of the company deploying to Australia. "It's one of the things that strengthens the ties between both nations."

"We'll be teaching the Australians about our weapons systems, our night-vision capabilities, and our communications equipment," said 2nd Lt. Everette Griffiths, 3rd platoon leader, "and they'll teach us the same about their equipment. We'll go to a range and they'll fire our M-16 and we'll fire their Steyr rifles."

Before departing from Hawaii for the Joint Readiness Training Center, the Australians trained on Schofield Barracks' ranges for three weeks. They trained on the tough terrain of Schofield's East Range and at the 25th Division's Combat Training Facility/Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) Site. The Australian Company also conducted a live-fire exercise and received a series of Joint Readiness Training Center briefings.

Today's allies are expected to work together more and more, noted Australian Army Lt. Danny J. Pilmore, platoon leader of 12 Platoon, D Company. He observed that these exercises help to develop working relationships before multinational operations might be required. "I think the [exchange] is a good idea," said Australian Pte. (Pvt.) Gerald Hand, 12 Platoon. "When we do have to work together, communication and cooperation are that much less difficult."

While the Aussies of D Company, 2nd Battalion, RAR, were at Schofield Barracks and Fort Polk, the U.S. soldiers of C Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regt., were in Australia for the other half of the exchange. The Americans flew from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, to Townsville, Australia for a 37-day cross-training exercise with the Royal Australian Regiment.

The U.S. troops trained in a jungle area of Australia called Lava Rack. There, they conducted a 10-day field training exercise, executing squad operations, attacks, and ambushes. The rain and snakes expected by the Americans did not stop their eagerness to take part in the exchange. The U.S. soldiers also were able to see more of Australia than just the jungles of Lava Rack. A bus trip to the tourist area of Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef was part of the agenda. Like their Australian counterparts in America, PACIFIC BOND provided the Americans a great opportunity to train at the small unit level in a new and exciting part of the world.

For both countries' soldiers, PACIFIC improved mutual understanding, interoperability, and military-to-military relations.