News Stories

Retired Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Elder Hal Pierce, a service missionary with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and his wife Liane Pierce, are volunteers with the Navy/Marine Corps Relief Society aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. Hal Pierce and his wife support troops here and participate in community relations events. - Retired Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Elder Hal Pierce, a service missionary with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and his wife Liane Pierce, are volunteers with the Navy/Marine Corps Relief Society aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. Hal Pierce and his wife support troops here and participate in community relations events.

Left to right, Cpl. Jessica Quezada, a combat correspondent, Lance Cpl. Mark Adams, a combat photographer, and Cpl. Mitchell Flowers, a combat camera production specialist, participate in the Jingle Bell Jog, Dec. 19, 2014, aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. The Marines are with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron. Marine Corps Community Services hosted the event to help raise morale during the holiday season. The 1.5km event had more than 1,400 participants from various units aboard station. - Left to right, Cpl. Jessica Quezada, a combat correspondent, Lance Cpl. Mark Adams, a combat photographer, and Cpl. Mitchell Flowers, a combat camera production specialist, participate in the Jingle Bell Jog, Dec. 19, 2014, aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. The Marines are with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron. Marine Corps Community Services hosted the event to help raise morale during the holiday season. The 1.5km event had more than 1,400 participants from various units aboard station.

Capt. Benjamin Baldwin, a weapon systems officer with Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242 and a judge for Matthew C. Perry High School’s science fair, listens to a student as he explains his project inside the high school gymnasium, Dec. 18, 2014, aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. The science fair is part of the school’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiative, which presented students with an opportunity to practice the scientific method. - Capt. Benjamin Baldwin, a weapon systems officer with Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242 and a judge for Matthew C. Perry High School’s science fair, listens to a student as he explains his project inside the high school gymnasium, Dec. 18, 2014, aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. The science fair is part of the school’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiative, which presented students with an opportunity to practice the scientific method.

Marines at the Mainside Postal Office aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, continue to push through the demanding overload of mail during the busiest time of the year. More than 700 pounds of mail are sent per day and 3,500 pounds of mail are received per day during the busy holiday season months of late November to mid-January. - Marines at the Mainside Postal Office aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, continue to push through the demanding overload of mail during the busiest time of the year. More than 700 pounds of mail are sent per day and 3,500 pounds of mail are received per day during the busy holiday season months of late November to mid-January.

Students from Higashi Junior High School perform during the holiday concert, Dec. 15, 2014, held at the Marine Memorial Chapel aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. The concert was held for students from Higashi Junior High School, Agenosho Elementary School and Matthew C. Perry Schools. - Students from Higashi Junior High School perform during the holiday concert, Dec. 15, 2014, held at the Marine Memorial Chapel aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. The concert was held for students from Higashi Junior High School, Agenosho Elementary School and Matthew C. Perry Schools.

Gunnery Sgt. Nathan Lanham, the embarkation chief with Aircraft Rescue Firefighting, passes out fruit to guest of ARFF’s annual holiday party, Dec. 12, 2014, inside the ARFF compound aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. The holiday party was hosted as part of an existing relationship between ARFF and the Tsuta Children’s Home, where members of ARFF invite the children’s home aboard station to spread holiday cheer. - Gunnery Sgt. Nathan Lanham, the embarkation chief with Aircraft Rescue Firefighting, passes out fruit to guest of ARFF’s annual holiday party, Dec. 12, 2014, inside the ARFF compound aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. The holiday party was hosted as part of an existing relationship between ARFF and the Tsuta Children’s Home, where members of ARFF invite the children’s home aboard station to spread holiday cheer.

Jon Cadavos, a senior with the Matthew C. Perry Samurai basketball team, goes around three defenders to score during the first of two home games against the Zama American High School Trojans, Dec. 12, 2014, at the high school gymnasium aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. The Samurai defeated the Trojans 45-28 in the first game and 59-54 in the second. - Jon Cadavos, a senior with the Matthew C. Perry Samurai basketball team, goes around three defenders to score during the first of two home games against the Zama American High School Trojans, Dec. 12, 2014, at the high school gymnasium aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. The Samurai defeated the Trojans 45-28 in the first game and 59-54 in the second.

A volunteer from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, dressed as Santa Claus, hands out candy to the children at Josho Hoikuen during a community relations preschool visit, Dec. 9, 2014. The purpose of this event was to interact with the local community in a gesture of goodwill and strengthen the bond between the U.S. and Japan. - A volunteer from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, dressed as Santa Claus, hands out candy to the children at Josho Hoikuen during a community relations preschool visit, Dec. 9, 2014. The purpose of this event was to interact with the local community in a gesture of goodwill and strengthen the bond between the U.S. and Japan.

Hawk Thomas, a player with the Harlem Globetrotters, goes for a dunk during warm-ups inside the IronWorks Gymnasium aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Dec. 7, 2014. The team is doing their 13th tour in 11 years, made possible by Navy Entertainment and Armed Forces Entertainment. - Hawk Thomas, a player with the Harlem Globetrotters, goes for a dunk during warm-ups inside the IronWorks Gymnasium aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Dec. 7, 2014. The team is doing their 13th tour in 11 years, made possible by Navy Entertainment and Armed Forces Entertainment.

Three MV-22B Osprey with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265 landed aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Dec. 6, 2014, to refuel and begin planning for support of Exercise Forest Light in Kumamoto Prefecture. Forest Light is a routine, semiannual training exercise that enhances the readiness of the U.S. Marine Corps and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and is in accordance with the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security. - Three MV-22B Osprey with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265 landed aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Dec. 6, 2014, to refuel and begin planning for support of Exercise Forest Light in Kumamoto Prefecture. Forest Light is a routine, semiannual training exercise that enhances the readiness of the U.S. Marine Corps and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and is in accordance with the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.