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124th MPAD Soldiers Get Taste of Orient

Staff Sgt. Anthony Florence of the Georgia Guard's 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment mans a video camera during Exercise Orient Shield in Japan.

Members of the Georgia Guard's 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment (MPAD) are taking part in a two-phase support of exercises in Japan.

Two members of the unit returned in November from two weeks in Japan’s northern Iwate Prefecture where they assisted in coverage of Exercise Orient Shield 05. Staff Sgt. Anthony Florence and Sgt. Roy Henry augmented the Army Reserve’s 304th MPAD based in Seattle, Wash. Nine members of the unit are schedule to return in January for the second phase of support.

Orient Shield, held this year at the Iwatesan Main Maneuver Area, is an annual bilateral training exercise. During the exercise, American Soldiers and members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) work closely with each other in the field and in garrison to create a greater bond between the two countries. This year it was members of the Texas Army National Guard who came to work and live along side the JGSDF.

Emphasis is placed not only on weapons and tactics, but also on culture. Florence was among many Soldiers to participate in the exercise’s Home Visit Program. Through the program, he and his fellow Guardsmen visited the homes of local Japanese families and experienced the country’s customs first-hand.

Henry and other members of the Task Force were not left out. They, through the assistance of the JGSDF, visited Horisaki City two hours north of the maneuver area. There, they not only sampled Japanese food, but also the country’s rich history.