Subscribe
Musician 3rd Class Camellia Akhami gives a little boy a her drum sticks after the U.S. 7th Fleet Band Far East Edition's performance at the opening ceremony for the exercise Talisman Sabre 2011 in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. Talisman Sabre 2011 is a bilateral exercise designed to train Australian and U.S. Forces in planning and conducting Combined Task Force operations in order to improve Australian/U.S. combat readiness and interoperability. The exercise reflects the closeness, alliance and strength of the ongoing military-military relationship between the U.S. and Australia.

Musician 3rd Class Camellia Akhami gives a little boy a her drum sticks after the U.S. 7th Fleet Band Far East Edition's performance at the opening ceremony for the exercise Talisman Sabre 2011 in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. Talisman Sabre 2011 is a bilateral exercise designed to train Australian and U.S. Forces in planning and conducting Combined Task Force operations in order to improve Australian/U.S. combat readiness and interoperability. The exercise reflects the closeness, alliance and strength of the ongoing military-military relationship between the U.S. and Australia. (Kenneth R. Hendrix/U.S. Navy)

Musician 3rd Class Camellia Akhami gives a little boy a her drum sticks after the U.S. 7th Fleet Band Far East Edition's performance at the opening ceremony for the exercise Talisman Sabre 2011 in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. Talisman Sabre 2011 is a bilateral exercise designed to train Australian and U.S. Forces in planning and conducting Combined Task Force operations in order to improve Australian/U.S. combat readiness and interoperability. The exercise reflects the closeness, alliance and strength of the ongoing military-military relationship between the U.S. and Australia.

Musician 3rd Class Camellia Akhami gives a little boy a her drum sticks after the U.S. 7th Fleet Band Far East Edition's performance at the opening ceremony for the exercise Talisman Sabre 2011 in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. Talisman Sabre 2011 is a bilateral exercise designed to train Australian and U.S. Forces in planning and conducting Combined Task Force operations in order to improve Australian/U.S. combat readiness and interoperability. The exercise reflects the closeness, alliance and strength of the ongoing military-military relationship between the U.S. and Australia. (Kenneth R. Hendrix/U.S. Navy)

Sailors assigned to USS Fitzgerald salute a Royal Australian Navy Frigate while manning the rails as the ship gets underway from Sydney. Fitzgerald is one of six Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers attached to Destroyer Squadron 15 and visited Sydney for a port call before participating in exercise Talisman Sabre.

Sailors assigned to USS Fitzgerald salute a Royal Australian Navy Frigate while manning the rails as the ship gets underway from Sydney. Fitzgerald is one of six Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers attached to Destroyer Squadron 15 and visited Sydney for a port call before participating in exercise Talisman Sabre. (Mikey Mulcare/U.S. Navy)

Royal Australian Navy Able Seaman Lindsay Cozyn of Australia's Federation Guard performs at the opening ceremony for the exercise Talisman Sabre 2011 in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. Talisman Sabre 2011 is a bilateral exercise designed to train Australian and U.S. Forces in planning and conducting Combined Task Force operations in order to improve Australian/U.S. combat readiness and interoperability.

Royal Australian Navy Able Seaman Lindsay Cozyn of Australia's Federation Guard performs at the opening ceremony for the exercise Talisman Sabre 2011 in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. Talisman Sabre 2011 is a bilateral exercise designed to train Australian and U.S. Forces in planning and conducting Combined Task Force operations in order to improve Australian/U.S. combat readiness and interoperability. (Kenneth R. Hendrix/U.S. Navy)

TOKYO — Talisman Sabre 2011, a joint U.S. and Australia military training exercise, kicked off Sunday with an open house at the Rockhampton Showgrounds in central Queensland, Australia.

The event featured a variety of military vehicles and equipment, as well as hands-on displays.

Australia and U.S. military troops will conduct land, sea and air training throughout Queensland and the Northern Territory through July 29, U.S. military officials said.

Some 22,000 personnel from the U.S., Australia and Canada - including about 14,000 U.S. servicemembers from the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Army - are taking part in the military and humanitarian exercise.

This is the fourth Talisman Sabre exercise. For the first time, there will be a significant presence of civilians from government agencies in the U.S. and Australia. Officials from the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Agriculture and Department of Justice will be on hand in an attempt to better synchronize their efforts with the military boots on the ground.

From staff reports

Sign Up for Daily Headlines

Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets from around the world.

Sign Up Now