Naval Air Facility (NAF) Misawa and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) conducted security training at Camp Hachinohe Feb. 24.

JGSDF Soldiers and U.S. Navy Sailors shared security techniques and honed their skills while dealing with many challenging security scenarios.

"This is the first time this has ever been done with JGSDF and U.S. Navy Misawa security forces. We're very excited to get it done and very excited to work together. At the end of the day we hope to start a relationship that will last for many years," said Chief Master-at-Arms Marcus Williams, assigned to NAF Misawa

Vehicle-born improvised explosive devices (IED), personnel-carried IED, belligerent suspects, personnel searches, vehicle searches, and suspicious packages were a few of the scenarios encountered.

The NAF Misawa and JGSDF security forces who attended the training are responsible for protecting U.S. Navy fuel depots located in Hachinohe. Communication barriers and differences in security techniques were addressed during the training.

"This Force Protection Exercise (FPEX) is a great opportunity for both forces to integrate and work collectively to protect critical naval assets. Both forces have force protection training teams (FPTT) assessing and observing the evolutions which is critical when conducting after action reviews (AAR) at the conclusion of each scenario. This allowed us to identify what we need to improve jointly as well as what we need to sustain. The JGSDF are very professional and highly motivated. We look forward to continuing this professional relationship and future field training exercises," said Lt. Daniel Topper, officer in charge of NAF Misawa's Security Detachment.

NAF Misawa and JGSDF security forces spent a lot of energy planning this training in hopes that it will set the standard for future relations and training opportunities between the two services.