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Military, local officials meet for Cope North kickoff
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Posted on Feb 15 2018
Military and government officials met to discuss final preparations for the annual multi-national disaster preparedness and response exercise, Cope North 2018, or CN18.
Representatives of the U.S. Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force flew to Saipan, Tinian, and Rota to meet with the Commonwealth Ports Authority and municipal officials to answer any final questions before training began yesterday, Feb. 14.
Randel Sablan, the CNMI Joint Region Marianas Coordination Office director, accompanied the visiting military officials to assist with the discussions.
“These meetings occur every year prior to the start of the exercise to give our local officials the opportunity to speak with the key personnel who will direct the activities,” said Sablan. “It’s important our local officials know exactly what will happen when training occurs in the CNMI.”
Cope North is a multilateral U.S. Pacific Air Forces-sponsored field training exercise conducted annually at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, focusing on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief training objectives, aircrew tactics and force employment in an effort to enhance interoperability among U.S., Australian, and Japanese forces. CN18 commenced yesterday and will continue through Friday, March 2. (PR)
