Southern Jackaroo enhances combat readiness, strengthens multilateral ties
Australian Defence Department
Nearly 2,300 troops from Australia, Japan, Papua New Guinea and the United States recently conducted military exercises in Australia to enhance warfighting interoperability, strengthen international relationships and improve combat readiness.
The Australian Army’s 3rd Brigade deployed to the Townsville Field Training Area and Ingham, both in Queensland, for the trilateral Exercise Southern Jackaroo with Japan and the U.S. (A “jackaroo” is an Australian term for a young person learning to work with sheep or cattle.) The exercise ran simultaneously with Exercise Brolga Run, a combined arms activity with personnel from the Australian Defence Force, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF).
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Brig. David McCammon, commander of 3rd Brigade, said the integrated forces at Southern Jackaroo performed a range of tactical tasks, “engaging with the enemy, and showing how capable we are working with our partners, it’s an amazing opportunity.”
Lt. Gen. Hiroki Kobayashi, JGSDF vice chief of staff, said the exercises are important because of potential threats in the Pacific region.
“Improving our interoperability creates a U.S., Japan and Australian partnership,” Kobayashi said. “It establishes a stable security environment in the Indo-Pacific region to be ready in the conduct of deterrence and response.”
McCammon said it’s important for the Australian Army to train with Allies and Partners.
“We focus a lot on individual skills, platoon and company-level activities, which we can do better than anyone else,” he said. “When exposed to larger armies, we see how to conduct things on a much greater scale; we get an idea of big brigade and division movements and how to sustain that.
“It is an opportunity to understand each other and our cultures, and work through that to become better partners at the higher levels.”
U.S. Army Lt. Col. James Carrier praised the relationship between the Australian and U.S. armies.
“Ever since I’ve been in the Army, the Australian Army has been a partner that we’ve worked hand in hand with,” Carrier said. “I see that relationship continuing into the future; wherever there’s a conflict, we’ll work together.”
