“Preparation Becomes Tomorrow’s Shield” as Orient Shield 26 Closes
CAMP HIGASHI-CHITOSE, Japan— Soldiers from Alaska’s 11th Airborne Division, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s Northern Army and 1st Airborne Brigade, and Australia’s 1st Division gathered at Camp Higashi-Chitose, Hokkaido, Japan, Sept. 24, 2026, for the closing ceremony of Exercise Orient Shield 26. The leadership for the trilateral force spoke, reflecting on lessons learned and partnerships strengthened throughout the exercise.
Throughout the weeklong exercise, U.S., Japanese and Australian forces strengthened their partnerships by sharing capabilities and learning from one another. Leaders also highlighted the development of standard operating procedures as a key outcome of the training, emphasizing the importance of carrying those lessons forward into future exercises, including North Wind 27 and Orient Shield 27.
“Over this past week we trained side by side, faced demanding scenarios, and challenged ourselves as a truly combined team,” said Col. Matthew Adamczyk, 11th Airborne Division, Deputy Commander of Operations. “A week ago, when we stood in this same place, we endeavored to build our warfighting interoperability at the tactical edge, build and maintain a shared understanding via a combined common operating picture, and enhance our trust in each other’s capabilities,” said Col. Adamczyk.
“Orient Shield 26 has provided a highly valuable opportunity for Japan, the U.S., and Australia to train the procedures and technique[s] required to conduct combined operations under their respective chains of command,” said Maj. Gen. Yoshirô Tanaka, Commanding General of the Northern Army's 11th Brigade, Japan Ground Self Defense Force. “This Exercise has significantly enhanced our operational effectiveness and our ability to execute missions as a combined post.”
Orient Shield 26 has featured several firsts for the exercise, including the integration of tactical operations centers to create a shared common operational picture at the tactical level, enhancing coordination and information sharing among participating forces. The exercise also featured its first joint airborne operation, with approximately 260 U.S. Soldiers parachuting from five C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.
U.S., Japanese and Australian forces also participated in rigorous field training and multinational maneuver operations, including firing the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, while Japan Ground Self-Defense Force members fired the Multiple Launch Rocket System during a live-fire event Sept. 22 at Yausubetsu Training Area, Hokkaido, and decontamination operations, practicing procedures to safely remove contaminated protective equipment.
“The best experience I’ve had [at Orient Shield] has been watching the junior Soldiers,” said Sgt. Cornillius Williams with the 45th Chemical Hazards Response Company. “They’re really realizing that things aren’t as different as they would expect them to be. They [the JGSDF] are Soldiers just like we are,” Williams said.
“It’s just building bonds between the Japanese Army, showing what we have and what they have and getting a better understanding of how we would operate if we would have to do a mission together.”
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