Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan

. - U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Christopher Melling, the pilot training officer with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 251, stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., enters and F/A-18C Hornet while wearing Joint Protective Aircrew Ensemble (JPACE) and Respirator equipment at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, Sept. 29, 2017. VMFA-251 has intensified training on familiarizing aircrew members with the JPACE, a pilot’s Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Defense equipment, while still maintaining focus on the squadron’s mission. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joseph Abrego)

Japanese barbers cut through time - Chieko Murakami, left, Hisato Murakami, center, and Tomie Shigemura, barbers working at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, pose in front of the Torii Pines barber shop at the air station, Oct. 25, 2017. They are currently three of the oldest employed Japanese workers on base. Shigemura began working in 1970, and Hisato and his wife, Chieko, joined her a year later. After nearly half a century, these barbers have whizzed their clippers through the hairs of countless Marines. From the dog days of the Vietnam War to the ongoing War on Terror, they’ve buzzed their way through time at MCAS Iwakuni while watching it flourish, grow and transform in the process. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Carlos Jimenez)

US service members celebrate end of summer - U.S. Marine Pfc. Terrence Pennywell, an embarkation specialist with Combat Logistics Company (CLC) 36, plays a saxophone during the 20th annual Single Marine Program’s End of Summer Party at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Sept. 27, 2017. The event gave Marines one last opportunity to enjoy the season with their peers as it turns to fall. There was a karaoke competition, pool tournament and sumo wrestling competition. They held raffles giving away a bicycle, a TV, coupons worth $250, a one-hour massage and other prizes during the event. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Stephen Campbell)

Japanese, Americans participate in triathlon - A participant in the 30th annual Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni Triathlon hosted by Marine Corps Community Services Iwakuni, races during the 23-kilometer bicycle portion of the event at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, Sept. 24, 2017. Marine Corps Community Services Iwakuni hosted the triathlon to energize the community and provide a positive experience through friendly competition. The event was composed of a 1-kilometer swim, a 23-kilometer bike ride and 8-kilometer run. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Stephen Campbell)

Hiroshima Dragonflies overcome MCAS Iwakuni - Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni and Hiroshima Dragonflies players pose for a photo at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, Sept. 26, 2017. The game was organized to bring two cultures together, through spirit and competitiveness, and assist the Dragonflies in completing their final scrimmage game, beginning the season. MCAS Iwakuni dribbled their way up and down the court starting the game off on the right foot with several rebounds and a few 3-pointers, but as time went on the game slowly slipped out from underneath their sneakers. The Dragonflies won 69-20. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Mason Roy)

Japanese, Americans build relationships in a unique way - Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni residents build a replica of the Kintaikyo bridge alongside Japanese locals during a Cultural Adaptation trip in Iwakuni City, Japan, Sept. 15, 2017. Station residents were taken to a hangar filled with wooden parts from Japanese Hinoki and Keyaki trees, the kind used to build the Kintaikyo Bridge, where they worked to create a model replica one-fifth the size of the bridge. The building of the bridge became symbolic for the cooperative, friendly nature between America and Japan, consistently working together in civilian and military environments to achieve mutually-beneficial goals. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Carlos Jimenez)

Fleet Readiness Center Western Pacific Detachment Iwakuni brings first aircraft into new hangar - From left to right, James Bock, F/A-18 Super Hornet planned maintenance interval line program manager with Fleet Readiness Center Western Pacific (FRCWP), Tomoshi Kometani, general manager of Nippi Corporation maintenance division, U.S. Navy Capt. Matthew Edwards, commanding officer of FRCWP, and U.S. Marine Corps Col. Mark Palmer, commanding officer of Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 12, participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Sept. 22, 2017. The ceremony celebrated FRCWP Detachment Iwakuni’s induction of the first aircraft for maintenance in the unit’s new hangar. The facility allows the air station to conduct depot-level maintenance locally rather than flying aircraft to Naval Air Facility Atsugi. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Stephen Campbell)

US Marine exceeds expectations, accepts award - U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Christopher J. Garza, left, sergeant major of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan, Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Burke, center, detention facility staff noncommissioned officer and supervisor with Headquarters and Headquarters (H&HS), and Col. Richard F. Fuerst, commanding officer of MCAS Iwakuni, pose for a photo in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 9, 2017. Burke received the USO Service Member of the Year Award at the 10th Annual Service Salute Gala. One service member from each military installation in Japan attends the gala to receive the award. Burke went above and beyond the expectations of his normal duties as a Marine by showing exemplary leadership skills, volunteering his time at the USO, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society and community relations events hosted by the Marine Memorial Chapel. (courtesy photo)

MAG-12 secures the 2017 Fall Classic football game - U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Walter Williams, a wide receiver for Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 12, runs the football at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Sept. 15, 2017, during the 26th annual 2017 Fall Classic football game. The game was set up to increase unit camaraderie and competitiveness across the air station. Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron (H&HS) looked as if they were going to “take the cake” this year, intercepting the ball once and scoring two touchdowns, but H&HS began to slip up as the game progressed to the second half, throwing two interceptions for major turnovers. MAG-12 defeated H&HS 43-22. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Mason Roy)

Service members volunteer, make difference in community - U.S. Marines and Sailors based out of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, dig a hole to make a koi pond at You En, a special needs home in Hiroshima City, Sept. 15, 2017. The landscaping at the special needs home consisted of digging holes for a future garden as well as a koi pond for the residents to enjoy walking through and watching it grow day-by-day. The event helped build relations between the service members and the Japanese community. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Stephen Campbell)