Asia Pacific Defense Forum Spring 2002

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) soldiers of the 4th Company, 11th Infantry Regiment, 7th Division and U.S. Marines from 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment (3/8) successfully conducted Exercise FOREST LIGHT 2001 at Camp Chitose in Hokkaido, Japan, from 29 February to 6 March 2001. This annual bilateral cold-weather exercise allows the JGSDF and the Marines to practice combat tactics in icy weather, snow and frozen terrain. The exercise also offers both forces a chance to exchange tactical skills and learn from each other.

U.S. Marines learn to ski their way to their objective during FOREST LIGHT 2001 after instruction from experienced Japan Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers.

The Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, based 3/8 Marines — deployed to Okinawa, Japan — learned to ski at Camp Fuji, Japan, before practicing their combat tactics in the snow-covered terrain of Camp Chitose.

Skilled JGSDF and Marine instructors at Camp Fuji taught the Marines the basic skiing skills necessary to complete their missions. Though the Marines picked up the skills needed, the road to achieving the goal was a rocky one for some. Most of the Marines had never skied.

"When we started skiing on the larger hills, it was pretty much every man for himself and look out below," said Cpl. Mark S. Newell, squad leader, Company L, 3/8. Accidents were common in the first few days of training. Some 3/8 Marines were experienced skiers and used their knowledge to help their fellow skiers. LCpl. Jai Johnston said, "The Marines who knew how to ski left their companies while in Fuji to take a class for about a week. There, we learned how to teach the fundamentals of skiing to the rest of the company. We taught control, snow shoeing and how to cross-country ski with full gear."

The JGSDF soldiers, who are masters at crossing the snow-covered terrain on skis, also taught the U.S. Marines. Whether it was speeding down a steep hill or carrying a full load of gear while cross-country skiing, the JGSDF had a major role in teaching the Marines what they needed to know to train efficiently in the unfamiliar environment.

"In Fuji, the Marines learned basic principles of skiing, and that definitely helped us when we got to Camp Chitose for the exercise," said LCpl. Brendon P. Landry. "The JGSDF soldiers are excellent skiers and teachers who really helped develop our skiing abilities quickly."

Though the Marines learned the basics at Camp Fuji, they were still having some trouble when they arrived at Camp Chitose. The hills there were far bigger and the cross-country courses were longer and more difficult to navigate, but the Marines were up to the challenge.

"The Marines were having the hardest time trying to control their speed and turning while going down hill," LCpl. Johnston said. "By the second day into FOREST LIGHT, the Marines . . . picked up the right techniques quickly. Through the combination of time on skis, practice in Fuji and instruction from the JGSDF soldiers, we were doing pretty well."

The Marines also faced a slight language barrier with the JGSDF soldiers. While both forces had translators attached to them, it was still a challenge to communicate. According to LCpl. Johnston, "by mimicking what the Japanese were doing, the Marines picked up the skills. The Japanese were very good teachers and very patient with the Marines."

The next challenge came when the Marines combined their newly learned skiing skills with their fire and maneuver techniques. Now, not only were the Marines on skis, but they also had gear and weapons. "We fired and maneuvered with both skis and snowshoes," Cpl. Newell said. "With skis on, it was pretty tough and a lot slower, but as long as we took our time and remembered what we learned, we performed well. In a couple of instances, we traded our skis for snowshoes, because we found we could maneuver and get up quickly while wearing them."