Missouri National Guard breaks language barrier to execute Orient Shield

Missouri Army National Guard Lt. Col. Kevin Fujimoto (right), commander of the 1/138th Infantry Regiment, and Col. Takeshi Hirano, commander of the 26th Infantry Regiment, Northern Army, Japanese Ground Defense Forces, discuss infantry tactics during the Orient Shield bilateral training exercise at Camp Kami-Furano, Japan. (Photo by Capt. Carrie Lamm-Clark)


By Capt. Carrie Lamm-Clark
Ngmo.pao@US.ARMY.MIL

KAMI-FURANO, Japan - The 1/138th Infantry Regiment of the Missouri Army National Guard has been training as part of the Orient Shield exercise in Japan since Nov. 2. Without a doubt, the language barrier has been a hurdle for the Soldiers, but it has not been a show-stopper.

Lt. Col. Kevin Fujimoto, commander of the 1/138th, recognizes those challenges and embraces them. He notes that Orient Shield is well suited for forces with a language barrier, because one force is static and the other is moving.

"With pre-coordinated fire measures we reduce the risk of fratricide," said Fujimoto. "When you have two forces without a language barrier, it is easier to do sweeping operations, moving beyond one force or the other, and converging on the objective. However, when there is many moving parts, plus a language barrier, the risk of fratricide increases."

Though the Soldiers are faced with communication issues, training in another country, such as Japan, the Missouri infantrymen have the opportunity to receive some valuable experience they would not have received back home. New terrain, different climates and diverse counterparts makes Orient Shield a unique classroom. Fujimoto said that this is not the type of training that is generally done in the National Guard.

"I have not seen this level or complexity of combined arms exercise since I was in the cavalry during my first assignment as an army officer," said Fujimoto. "This operation would be a huge success in our traditional training, however, conducting it with the Japanese forces makes it even better. This type of combined arms attack is complex, so this is a huge home run. It takes a great deal of trust between commanders."

As commanders, Fujimoto said he must trust Col. Takeshi Hirano, the regimental commander for the Japanese Ground Self Defense Forces' 26th Infantry Regiment. He said that there is no longer a language barrier between the two commanders.

"We fully understand each other's intent," said Fujimoto. "Both staffs have linked up and coordinated exceptionally well."

According to Fujimoto, early on he and Hirano decided that the U.S. would have to be the shaping effort for this operation, while the Japanese Forces would have to be the main effort, or decisive effort.

"This is an operation where I sat down with the Japanese commander, Col. Hirano, and we discussed our ideas and concerns one on one," said Fujimoto. "What we came up with is what is often referred to as a hammer and anvil type operation. This is a combined arms operation with light infantry assets, motorized forces, and armored forces."

The infantrymen have now moved into the comprehensive phase and are conducting the combined arms exercise. As a part of the operational exercise, the 1/138th is also conducting the air assault portion of the mission.

"The air assault contributes to the overall strategy," said Fujimoto. "We are not doing it just to do it. It is a true part of the strategy of this operation."

Approximately 400 National Guard members from six states are working with about 200 Soldiers from the Japanese military. The Missouri National Guard is playing a big role.

The 1/138th is headquartered in Kansas City and maintains units in St. Louis, Boonville, Perryville, Monett, Anderson and Jefferson City.

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please call 1-800-GoGuard or visit www.moguard.com.

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For more information about this release, please contact Jennifer Archdekin at 816-262-2893 or e-mail at jarchdekin@gmail.com.



Lt. Col. Kevin Fujimoto (left), commander of the 1/138th Infantry Regiment, gives guidance to his staff during a combined arms rehearsal in preparation for the actual exercise at Camp Kami-Furano, Japan. Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Kennedy (right) examines the operational terrain model. (Photo by Capt. Carrie Lamm-Clark)