YAKIMA TRAINING CENTER: Waiting. Soldiers scan the expansive, arid range, ready to fire, waiting for two magic words – “fire mission!” Until then, they wait, preparing their equipment and thinking about the task at hand. They stand ready to bombard the range with accurate 120-millimeter mortar strikes at targets 6,000 meters away.
Soldiers, from 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, joined their 33rd Infantry Regiment, 10th Division, Japan Ground Self Defense counterparts to fire mortars during Exercise Rising Thunder 2015 at Yakima Training Center, Washington, Sept. 17.
The event was part of the combined-arms, live-fire exercise, or CALFEX, rehearsal. The CALFEX occurred, Sept. 21-22, and was the culminating event for Rising Thunder, encompassing all the training events from the month-long exercise.
The U.S. and Japanese forces fired their 120-millimeter mortars from different platforms, but were able to use the event to learn from each other.
“The Japanese, the way they fire is kind of like our old way,” said 1st Lt. Eric Van Den Heuval, mortar platoon leader in 4-23 Infantry.
The bilateral event allowed the mortar men from each country to bounce techniques off of each other, and even using different weapons, they were able to share knowledge, he said.
“I think we were able to help them at laying their guns [aiming the mortars],” said Pfc. Devon Moll, mortar man in 4-23 Infantry. “We were able to help them aim their guns faster.”
The mission gave the troops hands-on experience, which there is no replacement for, Van Den Heuval said.
“Coming out and firing live, we get to do more than just going through the steps,” said Pfc. Jameson O’Connell, mortar man in 4-23 Infantry. “There’s no replacement for physically doing something.”
Rising Thunder is an annual bilateral exercise between Japanese and U.S. forces.
