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Marines

Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan

News Stories

Archive: February, 2003

The FAST and the furious

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan "To deter, detect and defend against terrorist threats is the mission of the Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team Company" a lightweight, rapid-reaction force capable of executing a large number of anti-terrorism and physical security missions. FAST Marines are a force multiplier and the final barrier that can prevent

Caution stressed to residents

Mail service was temporarily halted aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni Feb. 19 due to the discovery of a suspicious package at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan, earlier in the day. Although Iwakuni was not the final destination of the package, it was sent through the Military Postal Service. United States Forces Japan made the decision to

Students spend afternoon with dad

Students of Matthew C. Perry's second grade class had an opportunity to sit down and enjoy lunch with some very special guests Feb. 14. The students hosted their father's to a "Dad's Luncheon" inside of their classroom at the elementary school. Shigeko Nishihara, Matthew C. Perry Elementary School teacher, helped the children organize the afternoon

New cammies make Iwakuni debut

After more than 20 years of faithful service, the most common piece of gear used in the Marine Corps is being retired. On Feb. 3, Marines aboard the Station got their chance to throw the old tiger stripes in their wall lockers and put on a pair of the new digital utility uniform. About a quarter of the 4,000 sets of the new utilities arrived

Parents benefit from baby-sitting program

Service members and their families may have difficulty finding a baby-sitter at nine in the morning on those days they would like to workout. To alleviate this problem, Marine Corps Community Service's Semper Fit program offers a free-of-charge, but not free-of-time, solution. While parents workout, the Co-Op Shared Baby-sitting Program gives free

Arts and Crafts offers creative outlet

Peace of mind can be as important for service members as any other training. With the effects of the daily grind stirring inside, a positive outlet is sometimes required. The Arts and Crafts branch of the Marine Corps Community Services is aware of this and offers a variety of classes which allows service members and their families not only an

Bridging language, culture gap

For many service members and their families, the language barrier they face when away from the Station can be tough to overcome. Whether ordering a meal or asking for directions, not knowing the country's native language adequately enough can pose problems when trying to enjoy the Japanese culture. To combat the many dilemmas that can arise from

Resident prepare for NEO

A Noncombatant Evacuation Operation training night was held in the Club Iwakuni Ballroom Feb. 3 to inform Station residents of what to do in case an evacuation of nonmilitary personnel is ever needed. One of the main objectives of training nights is to help put residents at ease about the NEO process, according to Capt. Thomas Holley, NEO

Miyajima celebrates Oyster Festival

Participants came from near and far this past weekend to take part in the 20th Annual Miyajima Oyster Festival at Itsukushima Island. For many, the idea of Japanese cuisine brings to mind a wide array of dishes plucked mainly from the sea, but for this event the pearl of the plate was the main attraction. October through March is oyster season in

Dental program needs volunteers

The American Red Cross is looking for volunteers to participate in the Dental Assistance Program beginning in February. Due to the 65 percent turn over rate the dental staff at the Branch Medical Clinic experienced over the summer, the program was temporarily halted. "After last summer, the clinic just did not have enough people to accommodate the