Rockhampton, Australia – Over 400 Army paratroopers from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division have parachuted from seven C-17 Globemasters onto Kapyong Air Field, Australia as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre 15, July 8.
Talisman Sabre is a biennial exercise that provides an invaluable opportunity for nearly 30,000 U.S. and Australian personnel to conduct operations in a combined, joint and interagency environment that will increase both countries’ ability to plan and execute a full range of opera-tions from combat missions to humanitarian assistance.
"The first and foremost reason we are here today, is not only to deepen the already strong relationship between the U.S. Army and the Australian Army, but between the Australian De-fence Force, U.S. military and the United States of America and Australia," said Brigadier Mick Ryan, Commander Australian 1st Brigade.
Major exercises like these train service men and women to enhance interoperability and employ skills needed for long range, high tempo and short notice missions around the world.
It builds the basics to planning, communicating, and deploying around the world said Ryan. "Those fundamental skills can be adapted across the board from humanitarian aid and dis-aster relief to high-end operations and deployments that our governments might want to engage in," he added.
The U.S. military regularly deploys in joint operational environments, both in conflict and in peacekeeping missions. Being able to operate effectively with other nations and services can facilitate the accomplishment of key objectives.
"With the current operating situation around the world; being able to conduct exercises like this, in a combined operating environment, allows us the opportunity to showcase the capa-bilities in the pacific region," said Capt. Zachary Miller, the commander of 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.
Talisman Sabre 15 preparations have been happening for several months, and the Strate-gic Air Drop was one of the larger events of the Central Queensland part of the exercise. Concur-rent activities are occurring in Northern Australia.
It is always exciting to watch the culmination of months of training and coordination be-tween the Australians and the U.S., said U.S. Army Pacific Exercise Commander Brigadier Gen-eral Brian Alvin. "The beautiful thing about this jump was that the Australians flew two of their aircraft up to Alaska, joining five of the U.S. aircraft and after a 17 hour flight back they enabled the U.S. Soldiers parachute onto the airfield in Australia," he added.
The U.S. and Australian military has had a long history of working together and coopera-tion. The partnership has been forged out of mutual trust and respect.
"The relationship that the U.S. and Australians have is a wonderful thing and it is grow-ing," said Alvin. "I just spoke with the Australian Chief of Army and we believe that the partner-ship we have will only become stronger as time progresses."
"We love working side-by-side with the U.S. Army, like we did in the First World War," said Ryan. "It's a relationship that we, the Australian soldiers, really treasure and it's part of the ongo-ing nurturing of that relationship that we look forward to these events."
