U.S. Army Japan (USARJ)
U.S. Army Japan (USARJ) is the Army Component Command (ACC) to the subordinate unified command, U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) and is a major subordinate command (MSC) of U.S. Army Pacific. USARJ has full coordination authority with USFJ and other service component in Japan on U.S. Army matters. United States Army, Japan is a component of United States Forces, Japan (USFJ). It is in Japan to support the mutual defense of Japan, where it also provides a forward presence, bilateral engagement with Japan, and support for regional contingencies. All of the USARJ staff is assigned to and serves in Japan. The same Commanding General leads both USARJ and the 9th TSC, providing a unity of command and focus for U.S. Army activities in Japan.
U.S. Army Japan commands all U.S. Army units assigned or attached and employs them to conduct operations as direcrted by Headquarters, U.S. Forces Japan, and U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC). It plans and trains with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) for the defense of Japan, and supports regional contingencies by maintaining war reserve and operational project stocks. USARJ maintains storage facilities with the capability to expand the Asia logistical base, and provides humanitarian and disaster relief assistance to the region as requested. It provides garrison-type support in Japan, theater-wide support, and support for other commands as directed. USARJ develops, coordinates and prepares bilateral and unilateral contingency plans for its areas of operation.
It commands and supports U.S. Army assigned units, attached units and augmentation forces and employs these forces in support of Commander U.S. Forces Japan. USARJ maintains deterrent power in the Pacific through maintenance of defense facilities, war reserves and operational project stocks. USARJ/9th TSC is committed to the support of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and actively promotes coordinated operations between the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and U.S. Army in emergency situations through bilateral planning and training. The training involved an annual bilateral command post exercise, two annual field training exercises and numerous other bilateral events.
USARJ and 9th TSC have distinct command relationships. USARJ is a service component of United States Forces, Japan, which is itself a sub-unified command of the United States Pacific Command. At the same time, USARJ is a Major Subordinate Command (MSC) of the United States Army, Pacific. Although 9th TSC has a presence in Japan, it is a separate unit with missions and functions both in and out of Japan. Like USARJ, it is an MSC of United States Army Pacific with its commitment to Japan through its leadership unified with that of USARJ.
The strategic geographic location of Japan provides the U.S. an excellent location for forward-basing, enabling power projection forces in the event of contingencies. Combined with the current agreements the U.S. has with Japan for basing rights for both air and sea forces, the U.S. Army in Japan is capable of a greatly expanded logistical support role throughout the Pacific theater. Japan occupies a key strategic location in the Pacific, which is vitally important to the U.S. both economically and militarily. U.S. forward presence in Japan is vital to ensuring access to this strategic location. The U.S. Army's forward presence in Japan enables it to meet U.S. bilateral engagement responsibilities under the Mutual Security Treaty and the Defense Guidelines to defend Japan from outside aggression in wartime, and to provide deterrence and stability in peacetime. It also demonstrates the U.S. commitment to other allies and friends in the Pacific. Being in Japan, approximately 5,000 nautical miles closer to potential trouble spots than the West Coast of the U.S., means USARJ & 9th TSC can respond to crises and support regional contingencies as a strategically located base and staging area.
Japan is a generous U.S. defense partner, providing in excess of $5 billion annually for labor cost sharing, utilities, facilities improvement and other related costs. The Government of Japan also provides rent-free facilities and support by a highly skilled, dedicated Japanese national work force to offset the limited number of Army personnel assigned to Japan.
USARJ & 9th TSC conduct over 140 bilateral engagements every year and this list is growing each year. The dynamic exercise program of USARJ & 9th TSC offers exercise participants a "one-of-a-kind" bilateral training experience. Three major bilateral training exercises are conducted each year _ Yama Sukara, Orient Shield and North Wind. These exercises seek to refine key interoperability issues between the U.S. Army and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF).
The most important annual exercise, Yama Sakura, usually held at the beginning of the calendar year, is a command post exercise (CPX) designed to enhance bilateral contingency planning. As many as 1,100 U.S. soldiers take part in the exercise each year, including hundreds of Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers from more than 27 states. First Corps is a key player and participates as a fully operational Army Corps headquarters, with assigned units to exercise with the JGSDF. Computer technology plays a key role in Yama Sakura. The exercise, as with most CPXs, uses the Corps Battle Simulation (CBS) for tactical play. This system enhances and "drives" the scenario. It tracks the results of the command and staff actions and decisions. CBS allows USARJ & 9th TSC to link up with participants in various locations throughout the Pacific area of operations. CBS also allows a link to the JGSDF participating units to show the same picture for all, making it truly a bilateral operation.
North Wind is the U.S. Army, Japan's premier cold weather field training exercise (FTX). This exercise involves realistic tactical planning, maneuver and live-fire training in a bilateral field setting. U.S. and Japanese infantry soldiers train together in air assault operations, ground assaults, ski and snowshoe maneuvers, and live-fire exercises.
Orient Shield is the third bilateral field training exercise that provides realistic tactical planning, maneuver and live-fire training in a challenging field environment. This exercise is normally held late in the fall each year. Typically, the key participants are afforded the rare opportunity to integrate their soldier skills, working shoulder to shoulder towards a common training goal.
Each exercise provides an opportunity to exchange lessons in culture through the "Home Visit Program." At the beginning and end the of each exercise, approximately 450 soldiers visit a host Japanese family in the local area where the exercises are held.
USARJ & 9th TSC also provide the life support for regional exercises such as Balikatan in the Philippines and Cobra Gold in Thailand. These exercises provide training opportunities to practice contingency deployment, force protection and logistical support mission over extended distances. USARJ & 9th TSC also participate in Ulchi Focus Lens, an exercise in Korea as well as Receiving, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration (RSO&I) both in Korea and Japan. These exercises require performing the mission of a supporting Theater Support Command, augmenting the Eighth Army and 19th TSC, both in Korea.
The origins of United States Army Japan trace back to the formation of Army Forces Far East (AFFE) in Manila, Philippiines, July 26, 1941, commanded by General Douglas MacArthur. In the spring of 1942, after the fall of the Philippines to Japanese forces, AFFE moved to Melbourne, Australia. General MacArthur served as the commanding general of AFFE and the Allied supreme commander of the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA). AFFE served as the administrative headquarters for all Army forces in the Southwest Pacific from 1943 to June 1945. Near the end of World War II, AFFE headquarters became part of General Headquarters (GHQ), U.S. Forces, Pacific. After the war AFFE was attached to GHQ, Far East Command, based in Tokyo. In June 1950 AFFE moved to a new headquarters in Yokohama, still attached to Headquarters, Far East Command.
Reorganization of U.S. Forces in the Pacific in January 1953 established AFFE as the major Army command in the Far East. AFFE moved to Camp Zama, 35 miles southwest of Tokyo, in October 1953. On November 20, 1954, AFFE was combined with the Eighth Army to become AFFE/8A. In 1955 the 8th Army moved its headquarters to Seoul, Korea, and the Camp Zama command element was designated AFFE/8A (Rear).
The name, U.S. Army Japan, first appeared July 1, 1957 in a reorganization of U.S. forces in the Pacific. USARJ and five other Pacific elements came under the command of U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) during a reorganization completed January 1960. During the next 25 years USARJ's area of responsibility and span of control continued to grow. In 1963 USARJ acquired the U.S. Army Depot Command, Japan, as a major subordinate command. This was followed by U.S. Army Garrison, Japan, which had the mission of providing station-type support to Headquarters USARJ and its components.
Okinawa reverted to Japan 15 May 1972 and USARJ assumed an even greater role as it acquired control of the mission and functions of the former Okinawa Command, U.S. Army Ryukyu Islands. Headquarters IX Corps merged with USARJ to form USARJ/IX Corps.
In July 1974, a reorganized USARJ reduced its subordinate commands from seven to three. On August 30, 1990, USARJ was added to the forces under U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC). While many major command responsibilities previously performed by USARJ were assumed by USARPAC, USARJ continued as the Army component to U.S. Forces, Japan, one of four Pacific Command (PACOM) sub-unified commands. As such, it is the executive ageny for all bilateral activities with the Japan Ground Self Defense Forces; tasked to develop contingency plans, war plans, and bilateral defense plans.
The 9th Theater Support Command (TSC) was officially re-activated as a subordinate command, succeeding IX Corps, as a subordinate command of USARJ at Camp Zama November 1, 1994.
USARJ is now comprised of a headquarters at Camp Zama, Japan, supported by 19 assigned units, including the 9th TSC and a host of attached and tenant units and activities. The 10th and 17th Area Support Commands were recently realigned to become part of the 9th TSC.
The Japan Engineer District (JED) is one of 41 districts within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. JED differs from stateside districts in two respects: First, it doesn't have a "civil works" mission, i.e., congressionally-funded projects and programs such as flood control, dredging, hydroelectric power and wetlands regulation. Second, much of JED's engineering and construction program is funded by the Government of Japan, through the bilateral Facilities Improvement Program (FIP). The Japan-funded FIP is a $1 billion a year program that is part of the way the Japanese government shares the burden of stationing U.S. Forces in Japan. The program is supported by the U.S. Congress through the annual expenditure of approximately $16 million of planning and design funds yielding a return of 50-60:1 for every U.S. taxpayer dollar invested. The FIP program, implemented in 1979, builds both operational and quality of life facilities in support of U.S. Forces.
