94TH AAMDC PARTICIPATES IN KEEN EDGE 2012

By Story by, Sgt. Louis C. Lamar 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command Public AffairsMarch 7, 2012

FORT SHAFTER, HAWAII-- The 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command participated in Keen Edge 2012 that convened from 22-27 Jan. 2012 from the Air and Space Operations Center on Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

Keen Edge is a joint/bilateral command post exercise conducted to increase combat readiness and interoperability between United States Forces Japan (USFJ) and the Japan Joint Staff (JJS).

"It is important to have these exercises so we are able to plan for contingencies that may occur in our area of operations," said Sgt. 1st Class Jeffery A. Curtis, a 94th AAMDC G3 operations noncommissioned officer and a Kansas City, Mo. native.

"I think exercises like Keen Edge are important for readiness training," said Sgt. 1st Class Shandrel E. Stewart, the 94th AAMDC's G4 supply NCO and a Fort Walton Beach, Fla. native.

Additionally Curtis said, that during Keen Edge he was the planner for contingencies and also issued fragmentary and warning orders.

"I enjoyed my role in Keen Edge," said Stewart. "I provided logistical support throughout the exercise."

Curtis later stated, "My favorite part of the exercise was learning the role I played and how to react to situations that occured during the exercise."

Stewart also said, "My favorite experience while participating in Keen Edge was working with the new 94th AAMDC G3 battle NCO Sgt. Dale. It was his first time working in that position and he did a very good job."

"It was very intimidating at first," said Sgt. Jimmie E. Dale Jr., the G3 battle NCO for 94th AAMDC and a Moreno Valley, Calif. native. "Once I got the hang of things it felt the same as running a battery training operations center."

Additionally Dale said that his favorite part of the exercise was having the opportunity to brief the commanding general because he never briefed a general officer before and was grateful for that experience.

"Keen Edge was a good opportunity for me to get hands on training while working as the G3 battle NCO," said Dale. "It is vital to have knowledge on different situations so that when they arise you have an idea on how to deal with them."