11th Airborne Division opens port to support Super Garuda Shield 25

25 August 2025

From Maj. Ian Roth, 11th Airborne Division

LAMPUNG, Indonesia — Soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division conducted port opening and operations at Panjang, Indonesia to support Super Garuda Shield 25, ensuring the timely arrival of equipment and supplies critical to the multinational exercise.

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U.S. Army soldiers from 98th Support Maintenance Company, 17th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 11th Airborne Division, ground guide a tactical vehicle onto a flatbed trailer for commercial line haul following port operations at the port of Panjang, Indonesia, during Super Garuda Shield 25, August 14, 2025. Super Garuda Shield is an annual exercise between the Indonesian National Armed Forces and U.S. Military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, and cooperation. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Jennifer Cabanas)

U.S. Army soldiers from 1-52 General Support Aviation Battalion, 11th Airborne Division, offload a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the Cape Hudson Vessel during port operations in support of Super Garuda Shield at the Port of Panjang, Indonesia, during Super Garuda Shield 25, August 13, 2025. Super Garuda Shield is an annual exercise between the Indonesian National Armed Forces and U.S. Military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, and cooperation. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Jennifer Cabanas)

U.S. Army soldiers from 17th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 11th Airborne Division, transport containers following line haul operations from the port of Panjang, Indonesia during Super Garuda Shield 25, August 14, 2025. Super Garuda Shield is an annual exercise between the Indonesian National Armed Forces and U.S. Military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, and cooperation. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. John Gibson)

U.S. Army soldiers from 17th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 11th Airborne Division, conduct safety inspections alongside TNI partners prior to line haul operations following port operations at the Port of Panjang, Indonesia during Super Garuda Shield 25, August 14, 2025. Super Garuda Shield is an annual exercise between the Indonesian National Armed Forces and U.S. Military designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability, capabilities, and cooperation. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Jennifer Cabanas)

Super Garuda Shield 25 brings together forces from the United States, Indonesia, and other regional allies to strengthen interoperability and demonstrate commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. While port opening operations are normally conducted by a sustainment brigade, for the 11th Airborne Division who does not have this key logistics brigade, opening a port in Indonesia requires engaged, innovative leaders to demonstrate this expeditionary readiness.

“Coordination and communication are vital when moving this much cargo,” said Capt. Jenny Cabanas, logistics officer for the 11th Airborne Division. “Our soldiers worked side-by-side with our Indonesian counterparts to ensure every piece of equipment moved safely and on time.”

Over the course of August 12-17, division logisticians coordinated the vessel offload of over 200 pieces of equipment to include containers, rotary wing aircraft and vehicles, enabling soldiers to deploy rapidly into training areas for the start of Super Garuda Shield 25.

“Port operations set the stage for Super Garuda Shield,” said Cabanas. “Without port operations, none of the equipment, vehicles, or supplies reach the fight.”

Super Garuda Shield has grown into one of the largest annual joint exercises in the region, incorporating land, air, sea, and cyber training events. For logisticians like those in the 11th Airborne Division, success begins long before the first maneuver unit steps into the training area.

“Exercises like this test our ability to deploy rapidly in the Indo-Pacific,” Cabanas said. “Opening this port proved the 11th Airborne Division can enable the joint force to move at scale, across oceans, and sustain operations in challenging environments.”

The 11th Airborne Division, based in Alaska, is the Army’s only Arctic Airborne Division and provides unique capabilities to operate in extreme conditions. By conducting port opening operations at Panjang, soldiers strengthened interoperability with Indonesia and demonstrated the ability to project combat power across the theater.

Super Garuda Shield 25 continues through September 5, featuring joint and combined training across multiple domains and showcasing the ability of U.S. and allied forces to work together in the Indo-Pacific.