Wisconsin National Guard commander highlights enduring U.S.-Papua New Guinea ties during Tamiok Strike 26

Wisconsin National Guard commander highlights enduring U.S.-Papua New Guinea ties during Tamiok Strike 26

By Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Green

LAE, Papua New Guinea - Wisconsin Army National Guard Commander\, Brig. Gen. Brion J. Aderman visited engineering and medical engagement sites at Igam Barracks during Exercise Tamiok Strike 26 on July 15\, reinforcing the enduring commitment between the Wisconsin National Guard\, the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) and the U.S. Army Pacific forces operating throughout the exercise.

The visit highlighted two of the exercise’s primary lines of effort, engineering and medical readiness, while providing Aderman with the opportunity to meet with Soldiers, observe training and recognize the collaborative work being accomplished alongside PNGDF personnel.

At the engineering civic action program (ENCAP), Aderman observed U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers assigned to the 844th Engineer Battalion working alongside members of the PNGDF to renovate classrooms at Igam Barracks. The project is designed to improve facilities while providing a venue for engineers from both nations to exchange knowledge, techniques and best practices.

The engineering engagement supports Exercise Tamiok Strike’s objective of enhancing combined readiness while improving both nations’ ability to respond to humanitarian assistance, disaster response and regional security missions across the Indo-Pacific.

Following the ENCAP site visit, Aderman toured the medical engagement where U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers assigned to the 1984th U.S. Army Hospital-Pacific partnered with PNGDF medical personnel to conduct collaborative medical operations. The engagement enables military healthcare professionals to exchange clinical knowledge, share best practices and strengthen their ability to operate together.

Medical readiness remains a critical component of Tamiok Strike, ensuring both forces can effectively support military operations while enhancing their capacity to respond to natural disasters and humanitarian crises throughout the region.

During the visit, Wisconsin Army National Guard State Chaplain Jonathan Robertson met with Papua New Guinea Defence Force Chaplain Norman Taylor. Their engagement reflected the importance of leader development and relationship-building at every level, reinforcing the religious engagement primary line of effort that expands upon the bilateral partnership.

Exercise Tamiok Strike 26 builds upon a relationship that has grown steadily through the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program (SPP). Wisconsin and Papua New Guinea have partnered through the SPP for more than three decades, conducting recurring exchanges focused on engineering, medical readiness, disaster response, professional military education, leadership development and chaplain engagements.

Over the years, the relationship has evolved from periodic military exchanges into a mature security cooperation relationship built on mutual trust and shared interests throughout the Indo-Pacific. Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers and Airmen routinely train alongside the PNGDF, sharing technical expertise while learning from one another’s unique operational experiences.

Those longstanding relationships have laid the foundation for exercises such as Tamiok Strike, where U.S. Army Pacific, the Wisconsin National Guard, U.S. Army Reserve units and the PNGDF integrate their capabilities to strengthen regional security and increase readiness through realistic, mission-focused training.

As commander of the Wisconsin Army National Guard, Aderman’s visit underscored his organization’s continued commitment to the partnership and to supporting a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific through sustained military-to-military engagement.

Exercise Tamiok Strike 26, led by U.S. Army Pacific in partnership with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, brings together U.S. military personnel and PNGDF service members for engineering, medical and leader engagements that strengthen interoperability, increase readiness and reinforce the enduring commitment between the United States and Papua New Guinea.

For more information about Exercise Tamiok Strike, please visit the website tamiokstrike.com.