MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Seventeen Japanese master labor contractors and individual hire agreement employees retired at MCAS Iwakuni, June 28, 2019.
The civilian employees retired from serving as vital staff members around various departments of the air station. The longest serving retirees worked on the air station for 38 years which means they have been working for longer than most of the service members on base have been alive.
During the ceremony, U.S. Marine Corps Col. Richard Fuerst, the commanding officer of MCAS Iwakuni, and Sgt. Maj. Joseph Gregory, sergeant major of MCAS Iwakuni, presented certificates of appreciation to each of the retirees. There was also a cake-cutting and speech given by Fuerst. Those in attendance included air station leadership, the retirees’ coworkers and their military and civilian supervisors.
Takao Ikeda, a supervisory accountant with the station comptroller office, retired after serving for 36 years on the air station. Ikeda mentioned that he would recommend working on base to other civilians and that it gave him an experience like no other and opportunities to travel abroad, meeting new friends along the way.
The Japanese employees filled billets varying from automotive mechanics to cabinet makers and electricians. The Japanese civilians contributed to the air station’s mission, working side-by-side with Marines, Sailors and General Schedule employees.
“This base plays a key role in our national security, both of Japan and the United States and the free world and you contributed to that,” said Fuerst. “I want to express my gratitude to each and every one of you for your faithful service to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni.”
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