As U.S. forces gear up for the latest iteration of Keen Sword, Navy personnel from across the globe are preparing for one of the largest bilateral military exercises between the United States and Japan.
Among those participating are Sailors from Navy Expeditionary Medical Facility (EMF) Bravo, currently stationed at Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Twentynine Palms. These Sailors will provide essential medical support throughout the exercise, ensuring operational readiness extends to medical care in the field. Their involvement highlights the critical role that medical teams play in maintaining the health and effectiveness of deployed forces.
The Oct. 23 to Nov. 1 exercise, aimed at testing operational readiness and strengthening combat interoperability, will bring together key military assets from both nations for a coordinated effort in maintaining regional security.
Since 1986, Keen Sword has brought together thousands of American and Japanese service members to train for potential real-world conflicts, with a specific focus on joint operations. The exercise serves as a platform for the U.S. military to work alongside Japan’s Self-Defense Forces in a simulated, yet highly realistic, mass casualty environment.
One of the many Sailors participating in the exercise is Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (HM1) Raymond Black from Colorado City, Arizona, a biomedical equipment repair technician. Black explained that the primary role of his team during the exercise is to set up and maintain a field hospital capable of receiving casualties in the event of an emergency.
“Much of the operation will be conducted by the Navy on ships, but our role will be setting up the field hospital to be on standby for patient evacs,” said Black. “That way if this were a real-world event, we would be prepared to receive casualties.”
The medical team participating in Keen Sword includes a wide variety of specialties, bringing together a broad range of medical expertise to support the mission effectively.
“It’s pretty much anything you’d need,” Black expressed. “We’ve got biomeds like myself. We’ve got radiology. We’ve got preventative medicine. We’ve got a surgical team, admin — we’re going to be basically a full hospital.”
Black, a seasoned biomed, has extensive experience serving overseas, having deployed to Iraq twice and Kuwait once. His deployments have given him a unique perspective on the challenges of maintaining and repairing medical equipment in a field setting.
“Trying to perform maintenance and repairs while deployed is significantly harder,” Black said. “You might have to wait weeks for parts, or the equipment could be so old that they don’t make parts for it anymore. That experience helps me prepare for the unexpected challenges we might face in this exercise.”
Lieutenant Junior Grade Belinda Larche, a patient administration officer originally hailing from Cameroon emphasized the importance of the exercise in evaluating readiness.
“Keen Sword is designed to assess EMF Bravo’s ability to deploy within 10 days and provide Role III healthcare support in an austere environment,” she said.
Larche, who has previously served overseas as a medical regulator (MEDREG) in Iraq, believes the skills she gained from her deployments will be critical during Keen Sword.
“I served in Iraq as the MEDREG of 28 Joint and 9 Coalition Units across the Combined Joint Task Force Area of operations in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM),” Latched explained. “As the MEDREG for Navy Expeditionary Medical Unit Role-2E, I led a team of three medical operations personnel in executing 25 urgent, priority, and routine intra and inter-theater medical evacuations. I believe the skills I honed during that mission will greatly assist me and my team to accomplish Keen Sword successfully.”
One of the less visible but equally essential roles during the exercise will be filled by Information Systems Technician 3rd Class Christopher Logan from Long Beach, California. Logan’s responsibilities include ensuring communication systems are fully operational, allowing seamless coordination during medical evacuations.
“I am going to help run the systems, make sure that nothing goes down, and try to maintain network stability as a system administrator,” Logan said. “We’ll also be setting up communications so we can transmit medical information and better coordinate patient care.”
HM1 Isai Lopez, a surgical technician from Florida, will assist in setting up and maintaining a sterile environment for potential surgeries. Lopez, who has previously served at NMRTC Rota and aboard the USS Essex, emphasized the value of training in realistic environments.
“In this exercise, we have the privilege of training to receive patients in a mass casualty situation for multiple days to create the stressful environment the medical force may receive in a real-life scenario. This allows us to find ways to be as efficient as possible,” Lopez said. “It’s crucial that this isn’t the first time we’re exposed to these situations. The way this (exercise) becomes most effective is for those attending Keen Sword to share their experience with every Sailor.”
Black also highlighted the exercise’s value for further bolstering strategic interoperability with Japan.
“Keen Sword helps us work out problems so we can operate smoothly with our Japanese allies,” he said. “Because, with any operation, the main issue is always communications — who’s doing what, what needs to happen, and when. The goal is to make sure that, if a conflict arises, these questions are already answered to the point that we’re fully ready.”
Keen Sword, which occurs every two years, reflects the ongoing commitment of the U.S. and Japan to maintain regional stability in the Indo-Pacific. This year’s exercise comes amid growing concerns about the security dynamics in the region, particularly with China’s increasing military presence.
“We need to be prepared for anything,” Black added. “That’s why exercises like Keen Sword are so important.”
