DVIDS:

OKINAWA, Japan – In an air defense first, the 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment’s female command team leads their battalion to the forefront of a growing trade.

With more than 40 years of combined service, Lt. Col. Rosanna M. Clemente, air and missile defense officer, and Command Sgt. Maj. Melissa Calvo, air defense artillery senior enlisted advisor, guide and train more than 570 troops on rapid modernization air and missile defense capabilities to counter existing and future aerial threats in the Indo-Pacific region.

“It’s a unique situation to work with our bilateral Japan Self-Defense Force partners as well as joint maritime, fires, and aviation elements to accomplish a real-world mission,” said Clemente, Wood-Ridge, New Jersey native. “We are the first line of defense as the only Patriot Missile Battalion in the Pacific and continue to protect the force from air and missile threats against the U.S., our deployed forces, and our allies. It’s a tremendous responsibility and honor that both Command Sgt. Maj. Calvo and I share as a command team.”

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