PHOTO CAPTIONS:

1. JGSDF UH-1 helicopters swoop in during exercise ORIENT SHIELD 99.

2. More than 500 Japanese soldiers of the 5th Regiment, JGSDF at opening ceremonies for ORIENT SHIELD 99.

3. A U.S. soldier of the 25th Infantry Division (Light) (25 ID(L)) and a Japanese soldier of the 5th Regiment examine a Stinger missile.

4. A U.S. soldier briefs Gen. Yuji Fujinawa, JGSDF Chief of Staff, concerning U.S. equipment.

5. U.S. soldiers conduct a combat insertion from a JGSDF Chinook helicopter at Iwatesan Training Area in Japan.

6. JGSDF "Red Team" soldiers attack "Blue Team" defenders during ORIENT SHIELD 99.

7. Japanese machine gunners fire at the Camp Iwatesan range during range training.

8. Lt. Gen. Teruhisa Koyanagi, Commanding General of the 9th Division, JGSDF, welcomes Lt. Gen. John Hall to the Iwatesan Training Area. Lt. Gen. Toshimasa Fujiwara, Commanding General of the Northeastern Army, and Lt. Gen. Takao Sakamaki, Director General of the Joint Staff Council, look on.

9. Col. Dale E. Roth, Chief of Staff of U.S. Army, Japan, shakes hands with Col. Junichiro Ikeda, Chief of Staff of the 9th Division, JGSDF, at the opening of ORIENT SHIELD 99.

10. U.S. soldiers conduct squad rushes during live-fire exercises at Camp Iwatesan.

11. ORIENT SHIELD built friendships as well as skills. Japanese and American soldiers display the Hawaiian "shaka" (OK sign) at a party hosted by the JGSDF.

Photo: Sgt. John Giles, USMC

Col. Junichiro Ikeda, Chief of Staff of the 9th Division, Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), and Col. Dale E. Roth, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Japan, formally opened exercise ORIENT SHIELD on 2 November 1998. ORIENT SHIELD was the result of over a year of planning and preparation designed to improve U.S. and JGSDF tactical interoperability at the squad, platoon, and company level. Approximately 860 Japanese and 500 U.S. soldiers participated in this 13-day event at Camp Iwatesan in the northern part of mainland Japan.

Photo: Sgt. John Giles, USMC

During the exercise, Lt. Gen. John Hall, USAF, Commander of U.S. Forces, Japan, flew in a JGSDF UH-1 helicopter to Iwatesan Training Area on Iwate to visit units participating in Exercise ORIENT SHIELD 99, the JGSDF-U.S. Army ground operations portion of the larger KEEN SWORD 99 exercise. Lt. Gen. Hall was welcomed by Lt. Gen. Teruhisa

Photo: Sgt. John Giles, USMC

Koyanagi, Commanding General of the JGSDF 9th Division, and Lt. Gen. Takao Sakamaki, Director General of the Joint Staff Office. He received exercise briefings from Col. Shibata, Commander of the JGSDF 5th Regiment and Lt. Col. Garrett, Commander of the U.S. Task Force 1-27, and then observed an engagement of JGSDF armored units.

Photo: Sgt. John Giles, USMC

The interoperability training in ORIENT SHIELD was undertaken by the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division (Light) "Wolfhounds," from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and the 5th Infantry Regiment, 9th Division, Northeastern Army, JGSDF from Camp Iwate, Japan.

Photo: Sgt. John Giles, USMC

Training was conducted in a rotational sequence with each company completing squad maneuvers, machine gun qualification, demolition, and helicopter assaults. Japanese and American soldiers alternated use of the facilities and observed each other to learn new tactics and techniques.

Photo: Sgt. John Giles, USMC

While on the small arms ranges, U.S. soldiers used squad tactics to close with and destroy their targets. The machine gun range started with the two-man teams running 400m and then positioning themselves at staged firing points to fire at pop-up targets. U.S. soldiers accomplished heliborne assault operations from Japanese helicopters. As the

Photo: Sgt. John Giles, USMC

JGSDF UH-1 and Chinook helicopters landed on the landing zone, the U.S. soldiers embarked for a 15-minute simulated combat insertion flight. At the insertion point, they disembarked and performed a hasty defense to secure the perimeter.

Photo: MSgt. Marvin Krause, USAF

The U.S. demolition team then instructed both forces in the use of line detonation. Japanese soldiers loaded tubes with C-4 explosives and prepared 5-minute timed fuses. The object was to detonate simulated booby traps obstructing their path.

Photo: Sgt. John Giles, USMC

ORIENT SHIELD provided both forces valuable hands-on training. When soldiers were not firing weapons or detonating explosives, they were fine tuning their scouting skills, camouflaging techniques and squad maneuvers.

Photo: Sgt. John Giles, USMC

This year's ORIENT SHIELD exercise was more than a chance for Japanese and American soldiers to train together, it gave both forces the opportunity to socialize. It also gave the American soldiers a chance to experience the rich Japanese culture. ORIENT SHIELD 99 was a success, not only for the bilateral training achieved, but for the personal relationships formed during the exercise.

Photo: Sgt. John Giles, USMC