Report from the Rising Sun

Learn the Supported Language: A Lesson for Supporting Assets

By LT Rob “OG” Swain, USN

Okaerinasai

Welcome Naval Helicopter Association to the Report from the Rising Sun! Checking in after retrograding back to CVW-5 headquarters from Camp Zama in Kanagawa Prefecture. We recently participated in Yama Sakura 81 – the largest U.S./Japanese bilateral and joint command exercise between the Japan Ground Self Defense Force and the U.S. Army. Alongside Navy representatives from Seventh Fleet, Submarine Group Seven, and Carrier Air Wing Five, I provided subject matter expertise on Joint Force Maritime Component Command operations to the training audience from the Army’s 25th Infantry Division and their supporting units.

Prior to my arrival on Camp Zama, the exercise coordinator informed me that I would fill the role of liaison to the JFMCC at HICOM. My reply to his email revealed my wholly unfamiliar grasp of Army terminology: “What is HICOM?” After the coordinator explained that the Geographic Combatant Commander (INDOPACOM) represents High Command (HICOM), I understood my responsibility as a maritime component representative to the Joint Force Commander. Excellent - question answered and first language hurdle cleared.

I arrived at 0800 on Day 1 to a whirlwind of active duty, reserve, and retired Army officers in a frenzy of D-Day activities; energizing the war effort against multiple synthetic adversaries. Since the Navy and Air Force were left out of the crawl and walk stages of Yama Sakura, “there I was” fielding the first two requests for information for the JFMCC from an Army fires officer fully engulfed and running through the simulated fog of war:

“Has the Navy established a FSCL in the Sea of Japan?” “How is the JMSDF shaping the JFEO?”

Followed by an RFI from the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force officer-in-charge:

Quote:

To say I was overwhelmed in the first two hours of my time on the Joint Operations Center floor would be a dramatic understatement. I faced two language barriers: Japanese and U.S. Army. This presented a valuable lesson for me with application to Navy rotary-wing operations: learn the language.

Rotary-wing aviation satisfies an enabling role for all Navy objectives. Whether you’re conducting SSC in an MH-60R to support the Sea Combat Commander’s recognized maritime picture, flying AMCM in an MH-53E to support the Mine Warfare Commander by surveying Q-routes, or standing alerts for maritime PR in an MH-60S to support the Strike Warfare Commander with contingency response, as rotarywing aviators we are supporting a multitude of customers to achieve collaborative mission success.

Who provides the best customer support? The agency who functions isolated with their own processes, procedures, and brevity or the organization who immerses themselves in the language of the supported entity so that they understand both the mission details and the operational risks? This requires diligent, pre-planned, and engaged relationship building from us and the supported entity. It does not matter how well we plan in a vacuum or how well we fly the aircraft if we fail to develop TACADMIN plans compatible with the customer’s language. Understanding the supported entity’s discourse alleviates confusion and builds trust. As the Navy continues to discern the rotary-wing force’s multi-mission role in support of Great Power Competition, the ability to communicate across an increasingly networked and interoperable joint and coalition force shifts from “technique only” to an operational necessity.

Evolving demand signals for Navy rotary-wing employment across the joint force increases the need for our personnel to study professional language. Expeditionary Basing Operations may require HSM and HSC to integrate with joint and allied ground forces to a degree not experienced by conventional Navy rotary wing since HSC-5’s PR detachment to Iraq. HM passing on the torch of AMCM responsibility to HSC requires the HSC Community to familiarize themselves with the operational vernacular and communication methodology entirely unique to Mine Warfare. The necessity of signals and emissions control in conflict will demand joint forces to speak less but say more while maintaining an accurate common operational picture within a contested EM spectrum. Future conflict and the associated threats will preclude our forward deployed pilots and aircrewmen from saturating comm nets with ORM-friendly “plain English '' when confusion surfaces in the cockpit or cabin.

Taking the time to educate ourselves on the professional language of the units we support across every service will lead to more efficient and more effective Navy rotary-wing employment. For us, the aviators, the dividend equates to more enjoyable and rewarding experiences working alongside and building trust with warfighters from dissimilar backgrounds and domains. Stand by for updates in future Reports from the Rising Sun and Fly Navy!