Photo by Sgt. Phuchung Nguyen - Jennifer Ayers, the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni aquatics director and a South Carolina native, poses for a portrait at the Marine Corps Community Services’ indoor pool on Sept. 5, 2024. Ayers and the MCAS Iwakuni aquatics team provide swim clinics and master classes, and train instructors with the goal to improve service members’ survival skills and increase their water confidence. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Phuchung Nguyen)

Photo by Sgt. Randall Whiteman - Sgt. Jose R. Sanchez, left, a food service specialist with Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, explains how equipment is inspected at the Flight Line Mess Hall to Mike Johnston, a member of the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation, as part of the Maj. Gen. William Pendleton Thompson (W.P.T.) Hill memorial awards program, MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, Jan. 29, 2024. The W.P.T. Hill awards program aims to acknowledge outstanding performance within Marine Corps food service operations, including determining and recognizing the best mess halls of the year.

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Yasmine Huley-Morris, the station station captain of Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF), Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron (H&HS), Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, and a native of Virginia, stands in front of a fire truck for a picture at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, June 4, 2024. Huley-Morris recently received the Military Firefighter of the Year award for all military services. The award recognizes the firefighters accomplishments of the preceding year for setting the example of professional activities and career development goals. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Dahkareo Pritchett) - U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Yasmine Huley-Morris, the station station captain of Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF), Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron (H&HS), Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, and a native of Virginia, stands in front of a fire truck for a picture at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, June 4, 2024. Huley-Morris recently received the Military Firefighter of the Year award for all military services. The award recognizes the firefighters accomplishments of the preceding year for setting the example of professional activities and career development goals. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Dahkareo Pritchett)

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Sean O’Brien, a native of Illinois, and the station ordnance officer for Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, poses for a photo at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, May 2, 2024. O’Brien was born and raised in Glen Ellyn, Illinois and originally did not think of the military as the correct career path for himself. Now, with over 22 years of service, O’Brien has spent much of his time in the military carving new career paths, leading Marines and Sailors, and building a family. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Isaac Orozco). - U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Sean O’Brien, a native of Illinois, and the station ordnance officer for Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, poses for a photo at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, May 2, 2024. O’Brien was born and raised in Glen Ellyn, Illinois and originally did not think of the military as the correct career path for himself. Now, with over 22 years of service, O’Brien has spent much of his time in the military carving new career paths, leading Marines and Sailors, and building a family. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Isaac Orozco).

Photo by Lance Cpl. David Getz - U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Joseph Fredrick Jr, left, a cyber defense operations airman, and a native of California, and Senior Master Sgt. William Blankenship, a communications site chief, and a native of Mississippi, both with 374th Communications Squadron Operating Location Bravo, 374th Communications Squadron, 374th Mission Support Group, pose for a photo at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, April 19, 2024. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. David Getz)

Photo by Lance Cpl. Colin Thibault - U.S. Navy Seaman Apprentice Jyvan Marquez-Fontanez, a Seabee with Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, secures equipment in the bed of a truck after a drilling job at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, March 22, 2024. The Seabees of MCAS Iwakuni are able to complete a variety of construction tasks, from installing furniture to repairing the airfield. Seaman Apprentice Jyvan Marquez-Fontanez is a native of Puerto Rico. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Colin Thibault)

Photo by Lance Cpl. Rylan Adcock - U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Jacob Coby, a financial management resource analyst with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, poses for a photo at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, March 21, 2024. Coby, a native of Lake Forest, California, continuously seeks self-improvement through education and physical and mental health. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Rylan Adcock)

Photo by Lance Cpl. Dahkareo Pritchett - Catherine Matchem-Watkins, a Marine Corps Family Team Building Trainer with Marine Corps Community Services Iwakuni, poses for a photo with her family at Akiyoshidai Safari Land, Japan. Matchem-Watkins, a native of Chicago, Illinois, learned time management skills at a young age that she continues to use to this day to effectively balance time with her family, work, and volunteering in her busy schedule. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Dahkareo Pritchett)

Photo by Cpl. Isaac Orozco - U.S. Navy Aviation Support Equipment Technician Second Class Patrice Brooks, a native of Jamaica, and Aviation Electrician’s Mate First Class Celeste Taylor, a Texas native, both with Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department (AIMD), Iwakuni, discuss potential career paths at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, Feb. 16, 2024. As the command career counselor for AIMD Iwakuni and president of the Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions, Brooks holds a responsibility to ensure all Sailors under her guidance are well prepared to advance their careers and be valuable contributors to the community. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Isaac Orozco)

U.S. Marine Corps Courtesy Photo - Nicole Colburn, a Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) art teacher at Iwakuni Intermediate School, looks around her classroom at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Jan. 12, 2024. A native of Shirley, Massachusetts, Colburn teaches art as a way to follow her passion for the history, culture, and creativity of art. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Peter Rawlins)