U.S. Army Soldiers and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Members gather to pose together at the end of the Orient Shield 23 opening ceremony at Yausubetsu Training Area, Hokkaido, Japan on Sept. 16, 2023. As a part of U.S. Army Pacific’s Operation PATHWAYS, Orient Shield is a bilateral U.S. Army and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) field training and command post exercise that focuses on converging JGSDF Cross Domain Operations and U.S. Army Multi-Domain Operations. During Orient Shield, JGSDF members will train alongside Soldiers from U.S. Army Pacific, U.S. Army Japan, 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 1-181st Field Artillery Regiment, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, and Joint Force service members to strengthen interoperability and readiness between the U.S.-Japan alliance to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. (Photo by Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Ryan S. Gay)