GALLIPOLI BARRACKS, Australia -- I Corps and the Royal Australian Army have completed the sixth iteration of Exercise Talisman Sabre 15 here.
I Corps attempted to certify as Combined Force Land Component Command. Approximately 300 I Corps Soldiers participated in the largest Pacific Command exercise of 2015, consisting of U.S. and Australian forces with a contingent of 30,000 participants.
"Talisman Sabre was a complex exercise that brings together all branches of service and teaches us how to prevent conflict and shape things that lead to instability in this region," said Lt. Gen. Stephen Lanza, I Corps commanding general. "We have served alongside Australia in every major conflict since World War I, and our strong partnership with the Australian Defense Force continues to reinforce our commitment to the Pacific region."
The purpose of Talisman Sabre was to improve U.S./Australian combat readiness and interoperability, and maximize combined training opportunities. The exercise incorporated lessons learned from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Talisman Sabre was designed to exercise combined staffs in crisis action planning and humanitarian missions.
"The exercise has tested my Soldiers and I with the high operation tempo and managing critical tasks in a short time," said Staff Sgt. Jesus Roman, airspace control operations noncommissioned officer, Company A, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, I Corps.
Talisman Sabre 15 was different because of the increased interagency involvement.
"Talisman Sabre provided an invaluable opportunity to conduct operations in a combined, joint and interagency environment that will increase both countries' ability to plan and execute contingency responses, from combat missions to humanitarian assistance efforts," Lanza said.
Talisman Sabre included forces from all branches: Army, Special Forces, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and National Army, along with forces from New Zealand and observers from Japan.
"We had some bumps in the road working with our counterparts," Roman said. "The bumps show you where to improve at. Working through the bumps improved the interoperability of the exercise."