KIN BLUE, Okinawa, Japan – Lieutenant General John E. Wissler (right), commanding general of III Marine Expeditionary Force, shakes hands with Lt. Gen. Koichiro Bansho, commanding general of the Japan Ground Self Defense Force Western Army, during an inspection visit at Kin Blue beach, July 11. A platoon of JGSDF soldiers are integrated with Marines with Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, as part of the Japan Observation Exchange Program (JOEP) for several weeks. The involvement of JGSDF soldiers in the MEU’s regularly-scheduled training comes in response to the April 2012 U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee, also known as the 2+2, statement calling for more dynamic defense cooperation and bilateral training. This integration with JGSDF soldiers demonstrates the continued commitment of the United States and Japan to increasing interoperability of our militaries and maintaining a strong partnership to enable a bilateral response to future challenges. (U.S. Marine Photo by Cpl. Henry Antenor)