News Stories

Americans, Japanese relay message of friendship - Yoshinbu Tanimoto, left, a Hiroshima resident, and Kathy Chretian, a teacher at Iwakuni Elementary School, pose for a photo during the Iwakuni Friendship Relay Marathon in Iwakuni City, Japan, March 18, 2018. The marathon relay was a family-friendly event open to all ages. Many teams wore themed costumes from popular films, creating an atmosphere filled with laughter and friendly competition. Events like this strengthen the relationship between the U.S. and Japan and represent the purpose of Kizuna Stadium, where the event was held. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Andrew Jones)

MCAS Iwakuni residents, Japanese locals bond through calligraphy event - U.S. Marine Corps Col. Richard Fuerst, commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japanese government officials and participants pose for a photo as part of the U.S.-Japan joint calligraphy event, “Kakizome,” at Waki Town, Japan, Jan. 6, 2018. The purpose of the event was to bring the Japanese and American community together by sharing cultural values through art. “Kakizome” is a tradition the Japanese people participate in at the beginning of each year, and it resembles what is known in the Western Hemisphere as a New Year’s resolution. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Mason Roy)

Japanese American Society celebrates 60th anniversary in holiday party - Rasetsu ninja performers from Hiroshima take a photo with kids during the Japanese American Society (JAS) Iwakuni Holiday and 60th Anniversary Party at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan, Dec. 2, 2017. The party was a way for Japanese locals and MCAS Iwakuni residents to spend some time getting to know one another by combining their cultures and sharing a night of celebrating the holidays and 60 years of JAS. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Marcus Campbell)

Sumos take off for El Centro Horizon - U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Eric Brown, left, and Capt. Brian Kursawe, KC130-J Hercules pilots with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 152, conduct tactical navigation during unit-level training detachment El Centro Horizon at Naval Air Facility El Centro, Calif., Dec. 2, 2017. The purpose of VMGR-152’s El Centro Horizon ULT detachment is to increase squadron combat readiness through the diverse training ranges available at the Yuma training complex. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Carlos Jimenez)

VMFA-121 trains to fuel airpower in contaminated environments - U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Tristan Aber, a motor transport operator with Logistics Department Fuels Division, helps fuel an F-35B Lightning II during a training exercise at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Nov. 15, 2017. A hot refuel is a fast-paced fueling method that allows aircraft to take in fuel while powered up, which gets them back to the fight quicker. Executing missions on time and being faster than the enemy is a vital aspect to the Marine Corps, and exercises like these assure that Marines can keep working quickly no matter what environment they’re forced to work in. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Carlos Jimenez)

DPRI, MCCS hold grand opening of new gas station - Workers prepare for a ribbon-cutting ceremony during the new gas station grand opening at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Nov. 6, 2017. The gas station provides a secondary place for Status of Forces Agreement personnel to fuel vehicles and facilitates other amenities such as coin-operated vacuums, a tire pressure check station and an automatic car wash. The project was paid for by the government of Japan to accommodate the growing population of the base. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Andrew Jones)

VMGR-152 conducts nighttime aerial refueling with VMFA-121, VMFA-251 - An F-35B Lightning II aircraft with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121 based out of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan, conducts a nighttime aerial refueling training operation with a KC-130J Hercules with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 152 based out of MCAS Iwakuni Oct. 25, 2017. The training was conducted at night to improve operational readiness and enhance pilot proficiency. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Mason Roy)

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)

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)

Students welcome new school year with new facilities - Dwayne Jefferson, principal of Iwakuni Elementary School, gives a speech to the students during the first day of school at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Aug. 30, 2017. The day marked the first time the school facility was going to be used since its construction finished this year, along with Matthew C. Perry Elementary School and Iwakuni Middle School. The new school facilities have been setup to benefit the students, faculty and staff. They are also capable of taking in more students as the MCAS Iwakuni population increases. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Donato Maffin)