ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- As Cope North 24 continues, multinational participants are operating out of dispersed locations in the Indo-Pacific to improve capability and capacity for agile combat employment operations. Despite the geographic separation, Allies and partners are collaborating and integrating to create an asymmetric advantage.
Saipan
“With minor setbacks we have successfully launched multiple sorties and proved the limitations of the KC-135 and what is required to be completely self-sufficient in an uncertain environment,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Tim Shenk, Cope North 24 Saipan detachment commander.
“We hope that in future Cope North exercises, we can send partner aircraft to Saipan to ensure everyone is getting the training and experience of forward deploying in this environment. The next major conflict will not be successful without the integration of our partnered nations and without these crucial multinational exercises, we cannot ensure everyone is operating off of the same playbook during execution.”
Northwest Field
“This experience has shown me so much about the USAF, RAAF and JASDF coalition. This coalition has consistently demonstrated professional personnel from all three forces,” expressed Royal Australian Air Force Squadron Leader Brendon Knopke, Cope North 24 Northwest Field logistics lead.
“At all stages, I was genuinely pleased to be a part of such a great team. Everyone was so willing to solve logistical challenges in such a diverse environment. It has allowed us to achieve great things in logistics, across six very different locations”
Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport
“Here at Won Pat we are implementing agile combat employment which is, no doubt, a challenge. Every day we are learning new ways that we could be more efficient, which is exactly why we practice scenarios involving ACE. The Airmen and leadership personnel in the 14th have shown they can perform with the same level of excellence in low-resource scenarios,” expressed U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Aaron Whited, 14th Fighter Generation Squadron F-16 propulsions journeyman.
“Working in a joint environment helps give perspective on the larger mission at hand. When we are in Misawa, Japan, we only interact with our own unit. Out here in Guam, we have the opportunity to create connections with other branches and other nations. It feels like a family reunion where you meet family you didn't know you had!”
Tinian West
“It's been great working with our partners out here because we get to learn from people with a different mindset and upbringing; and the whole idea of having a diverse group of people working together is you have people who have solved problems differently from each other," stated U.S. Air Force Capt. Ken Nakanishi, Cope North 24 Tinian West lead interpreter.
"That helps us attack any problem from different angles, avoiding being stuck in one perspective and increasing that flexibility. On a larger scale, you’re looking at the fact that we have all these nations working together to project a massive force of deterrence against near peer adversaries in the Indo-Pacific.”