17th Field Artillery Brigade Soldiers participate in Yama Sakura 69

Yama Sakura, Japanese for “Mountain Cherry Blossom,” dates back to 1982. Since then, Yama Sakura has been an annual, bilateral Command Post Exercise that simulates Japanese-U.S. military operations required to defend Japan. Every winter, one of five regional Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) Armies is joined by U.S. Pacific Command to conduct the exercise in Japan. Capt. Joseph Thatcher, Battle Captain and Fire Control Officer, 17th FA Bde., and Sgt. Lisa Rodgers, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 17th FA Bde., answer phone calls from their Japanese counterparts during Yama Sakura 69 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Dec. 7, 2015.