Royal Australian Air Force Sgt. Shane Blair, an administrator at the Air Support Operations Center, supports Yama Sakura 87 at Camp Asaka, Japan, Dec. 7, 2024. Yama Sakura 87 serves as a cornerstone of Operation Pathways, the U.S. Army Pacific’s premier series of exercises demonstrating America’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Micheal Graf)

As a part of U.S. Army Operation Pathways, Yama Sakura 87 is a trilateral exercise is essential to maintaining operational readiness and interoperability between Japan, Australia and the U.S.