Taiwan Deploys Troops to U.S. for First ‘Western Strike’ Military Exercise

According to the reports, earlier this month Taiwan deployed a brigade-sized unit to the National Guard–led exercise at Joint Base Lewis‑McChord in Washington state.

Operating under a brigade command, Taipei formed two battalions, including an amphibious unit, and conducted live-fire launches with High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) along with rapid-deployment drills.

Su Tzu-yun, a researcher at the Ministry of Defense’s Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), said the exercises let Taiwan—restricted by limited training space at home—validate operational procedures and expand its combat capabilities through joint training with U.S. forces.

A source added that Taiwan has quietly taken part in the National Guard’s Northern Strike exercises at Camp Grayling Joint Training Center in Michigan since 2021.