MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Japanese Defense Agency, Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force hosted an open house at the JMSDF flight line, Sunday.
Thousands turned out for the event, which included aircraft static displays, JMSDF drill and color guard performances, flight simulators, music performances and more.
“I came because I love airplanes,” said Uemera Sato, an Iwakuni resident and amateur photographer. “This is a very great opportunity for me.”
Among the attractions were aircraft static displays from Navy Electronic Attack Squadron 1 and Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 533.
“Everyone wants to get a picture,” said Capt. Chris Usrey, EA-6B Prowler pilot, VMAQ-1. “And kids love it. You see their faces light up when you pull down a ladder. It’s something really simple, but it’s special to them.”
Usrey said the event afforded the Japanese an opportunity to see Americans in a different light.
“This gives them a chance to come out and realize we’re just people too,” he said. “It gives them a different aspect other than the big noises of taking off and landing they hear every day. Here, they get to see the people that are doing it.”
Capt. Daniel Schnick, F/A-18D Hornet Weapons and Sensors officer, VMFA(AW)-533, affirmed the sentiment, noting that opening up the installation gave the public a better appreciation for the U.S. forces here.
“It gives them an idea of what they’re paying for,” said Schnick. “They’re paying with time and effort, and maybe even money, to allow us to come over here and participate in Western Pacific deployments.”
Another significant event at the open house was the opportunity for Japanese and American aviators to meet and greet one another. Navy and Marine pilots put faces with pilots from the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force and the JMSDF whose formations they see in the sky on an almost daily basis.
“We get to see who it is that we’re over here to help support,” said Usrey. “There’s no national boundary line when it comes to loving air planes. I think our pride and professionalism is across the board.”
“You can see that passion comes to light in their eyes – both the civilians and the pilots,” Schnick concurred. “You can see they love aviation.”
Whether pilots, photographers, or just observers, aviation lovers of all kinds enjoyed a special day of tribute to the crucial aircraft and service members in military aviation.
“We take a lot of pride in our job,” said Usrey. “People who strap on an aircraft for a living are serious about what they do.”