Grissom sharpens readiness during Keen Sword 25

Grissom aircrew and maintainers travelled to Yokota AB, Japan to fuel the fight for Keen Sword 25 Oct. 23-Nov 1.

Keen Sword is a joint bilateral exercise Japan designed to increase readiness and interoperability while strengthening the U.S.-Japan Alliance.
From a command perspective, Keen Sword allowed Air Force Reserve Command members the opportunity to gain experience operating in the INDOPACOM environment. Operations and maintenance members gained the experience operating in a distributed environment with the exercise taking place at various locations across Japan.

"This was a great learning experience," said Senior Master Sgt Ken Knight, 72nd Air Refueling Squadron chief boom. "We treated it like landing in a bare bones environment and came away with a better understanding of hope to operate in the INDOPACOM arena."

The multinational exercise involved the Japan Self-Defense Force and U.S. military units, along with participants from the Australian Defense Force and Canadian Armed Forces.

Grissom maintainers and aircrew operated out of Yokota but were supported by teams at Kadena AB as well.

Aircraft refueled during the exercise included F-18s, F2-s F16s and F-35s.

Exercise organizers stated that this exercise, and others like it, are an opportunity to demonstrate to the world our will to defend Japan and the ironclad nature of the U.S.-Japan alliance, which has stood for more than 70 years.