The return of open-post occasions, a brand new senior enlisted chief and the realignment of navy police items have been among the many tales that impacted U.S. Army Garrison Japan this previous yr.
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CAMP ZAMA, Japan – The return of open-post occasions, a brand new senior enlisted chief and the realignment of navy police items have been among the many tales that impacted U.S. Army Garrison Japan this previous yr.
Under is a roundup of among the most notable tales in the neighborhood:
Open-post occasions
As COVID-19 restrictions loosened, annual open-post occasions returned to permit neighborhood members to collect alongside hundreds of Japanese visitors.
The primary occasion to be held was the Independence Day celebration, which final occurred in 2019. The anticipation led to the next than anticipated attendance, as greater than 25,000 folks flocked to Camp Zama to have a good time America’s birthday with stay music, video games, meals and a fireworks show.
A couple of month later, the set up held its Bon Odori pageant, which drew practically 20,000 folks. The occasion allowed contributors to put on conventional “yukatas” and carry out people dances as a part of the vacation that honors the departed spirits of 1’s ancestors.
In early October, about 7,000 folks then got here to Sagami Common Depot for a half-marathon and pageant that had meals, musical performances, youngsters’s video games in addition to a 16-kilometer “ekiden,” or relay race.
New senior enlisted chief
The USAG Japan neighborhood bid farewell to Command Sgt. Maj. Justin E. Turner in early December, whereas welcoming Command Sgt. Maj. David A. Rio as the brand new garrison’s senior enlisted chief.
Rio assumed duty from Turner, who had served within the place since December 2020, throughout a ceremony at Camp Zama.
The change-of-responsibility ceremony included its personal Japanese custom as effectively. When Turner first assumed duty two years in the past, he painted one eye of a Japanese “daruma” doll, a practice that entails asking for the success of a want or aim. Throughout the current ceremony, he painted within the different eye, signifying that his aim had been achieved.
Turner moved on to his subsequent project at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, the place he’ll function the command sergeant main of the Soldier Assist Institute, which oversees the colleges for human assets, finance and music.
Commander’s Cup
USAG Japan received its first-ever Commander’s Cup title for its efficiency within the 2021-2022 intramural sports activities season, together with first-place wins in 4 season-long occasions.
The yearlong competitors consisted of 26 totally different sports activities and athletic actions—14 particular person occasions, six one-day group occasions and 6 regular-season sports activities occasions—along with 4 post-season tournaments.
U.S. Army Japan management awarded the cup to USAG Japan group members throughout a ceremony in June. The ceremony additionally acknowledged winners in a number of health occasions held at Camp Zama throughout Army Week, which celebrated the Army’s birthday.
Navy police items fall beneath garrison
Greater than 50 navy police Troopers formally modified their uniform patch after a July ceremony at Camp Zama that signified their transfer to USAG Japan.
Each the 88th and 901st Navy Police Detachments, the latter of which makes a speciality of navy working canines, realigned from the thirty fifth Fight Sustainment Assist Battalion.
Whereas his unit’s U.S. Army Japan patch modified to the U.S. Army Materiel Command patch, Sgt. 1st Class Justin Thomas, detachment sergeant for the 88th MP Det., assured neighborhood members after the ceremony that their mission wouldn’t.
The realignment will even enable the items to work extra carefully with the garrison’s Directorate of Emergency Providers, Thomas added.
Intern program sees largest participation
The summer season internship program continued to develop as its newest iteration noticed greater than 20 Japanese college college students graduate in September after working carefully with American and Japanese employees at Camp Zama.
The monthlong program, which was created in 2013 and arranged by USAG Japan Public Affairs, offers college students the prospect to expertise an American setting and hone their English expertise with native audio system.
Col. Christopher L. Tomlinson, commander of USAG Japan, offered certificates to the interns throughout their commencement ceremony. In his remarks, he stated the participation, which included college students from 11 universities and 19 workplaces, was essentially the most profitable yr within the historical past of this system.
Group cleanup efforts
Volunteers from the Camp Zama neighborhood teamed up with Japan Floor Self-Protection Pressure members and native organizations to conduct a number of cleanup occasions all year long.
A few of the most vital occasions have been the Sagami River cleanups. In late October, Camp Zama contributors joined Sagamihara Metropolis, Zama Metropolis and JGSDF volunteers in one of many river cleanups as a part of a brand new initiative that permits the organizations to mix efforts as neighborhood companions, with every one taking turns internet hosting occasions.
Cleanup occasions additionally included beautifying native parks, the place volunteers from the Higher Alternatives for Single Troopers program, Sergeant Audie Murphy Membership, Boy Scouts, navy items and different Camp Zama teams helped pull weeds and plant flowers alongside Japanese volunteers.
Army recruiting workplace returns to Camp Zama
An Army recruiting workplace reopened earlier this yr at Camp Zama to higher assist potential recruits on mainland Japan following a decade-long hiatus.
Sgt. 1st Class Jason Blowers, the lone recruiter on the workplace, stated it was revived on account of extra curiosity at areas throughout Honshu.
He described the workplace as a one-stop store that guides potential recruits by way of all the enlistment course of, since there isn’t a close by navy entrance processing station.
One of many recruits included Ke’Shaun Joell, son of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Keith Joell, an info providers technician for thirty fifth CSSB.
In a full-circle second, Keith had the chance to manage the oath of enlistment to Ke’Shaun on the recruiting workplace in July. Virtually 20 years earlier than, Keith enlisted into the Army at Camp Zama when Ke’Shaun was a new child child.
IMCOM-Pacific management visits Japan
U.S. Army Set up Administration Command – Pacific management held a city corridor and met with neighborhood members in April, as a part of their weeklong tour of Army installations in Japan.
Craig L. Deatrick and Command Sgt. Maj. Jason R. Copeland, the director and senior enlisted chief for IMCOM-Pacific, respectively, led the closed-door city corridor, which garrison management didn’t attend to advertise an open dialogue.
Within the assembly, Deatrick offered a profession roadmap aimed toward serving to civilians climb the ladder. Touting the Army’s prime precedence of putting folks first, Deatrick mentioned a number of self-development applications, similar to Civilian Schooling System programs, out there to Army civilians and Japanese native nationals.
He stated coaching and expertise are each important to creating the workforce within the Army as he addressed a crowd of about 100 entry- and mid-level U.S. and Japanese civilians on the Camp Zama Group Membership.
Each leaders additionally toured Sagami Common Deport and Yokohama North Dock throughout their go to.
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