U.S. Coast Guard, Japan Coast Guard crews prepare to conduct joi
Crewmembers from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball (WMSL 756) and the Japan Coast Guard review and plan the details ahead of a search-and-rescue exercise planned to take place in Kagoshima Bay, Japan, Feb. 13, 2023. Kimball’s crew are in Kagoshima to conduct joint training and professional exchanges with members of the Japan Coast Guard expanding on a memorandum of cooperation signed in 2022 between the two sea services which established Operation SAPPHIRE, a perpetual operation to strengthen relationships, increase bilateral engagements, and focus on maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific. U.S. Coast Guard video by Chief Petty Officer Matt Masaschi.