MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- The fences and gates of the Station are well guarded and patrolled against any threat. However, what many may not know is that there is an equally large border that must also be patrolled - the sea.
The job falls on a group of Sailors who work out of a small building on the Station's Northside called the Boathouse.
Although they patrol the waters around the Station, they also have several other important jobs to perform.
"The overall mission of the Boathouse are the force protection measures implemented by the commanding officer," said Petty Officer 2nd class Roy Aduna, small boat coxswain. "Our secondary missions are oil spill response and search and rescue."
Sailors and military police patrol the harbor and restricted waters around the Station 24 hours-a- day and in all-weather conditions.
Buoys located throughout the sea outline the restricted area, which is nearly equal in size to the Station.
"We patrol the restricted waters to make sure no one is in there without proper identification, and nobody is allowed in there at night," Aduna said. "Without the Boathouse patrols, the harbor would be open to everyone."
Although the job of running the Boathouse falls on the shoulders of Sailors, who are the ones driving the boats and running the show, military police also work hand-in-hand with them to ensure force protection measures are maintained.
"They need an armed guard just in case they get into any kind of altercation," said Lance Cpl. Christopher Daniel, military policeman. "If anything goes down in the water, we are there to help. Also, it's a break from standing post and patrolling on base."
Aside from the force protection patrols, the Boathouse sailors are also prepared for their other missions.
"Aside from doing patrols, we are the primary oil spill response for the base," Aduna said. "We are the ones who will respond to take the oil out of the water."
To do this, the Boathouse has a specially designed oil removal boat and equipment. This is especially important because the majority of the Station's fuel comes in by ship to a fuel pier located in the Station's harbor, according to Petty Office 1st class David Arellano, deck supervisor.
"If there is a spill while they're refueling, we can catch the spill," Aduna said.
The third, but not least important, job of the Boathouse is search and rescue.
"Right now we are the primary search and rescue for the Station," Aduna said. "If an aircraft crashes within 25 miles, we are the ones responding for SAR."
Although many people may not know where the Boathouse is or even that is exists, the job the Sailors do is vital to the Station on many levels.
"It's a pretty good side of the base that needs to be protected by us," Arellano said. "It's an important job and we are the first line of defense on the sea."