The students lined up shoulder-to-shoulder at the edge with their ankles bound and hands clenched tightly together. After asking permission they plunged into the bone-chilling water.
This was the initial scene during a proficiency screeni...
Commanding officers of 1st Marine Aircraft Wing units and their respective sergeants major walked the streets of Okinawa during a liberty stroll Feb. 3 to get a closer look at how and where their Marines enjoy their time off.
The liberty ...
Four Marines with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, flew the final mission required to help the squadron surpass 90,000 mishap-free flight hours late last month, earning accolades for the squadron.
...
Marines with 9th Engineer Support Battalion and soldiers from U.S. Army Garrison Torii Station removed a 120-meter-long seawall near the Torii Beach shoreline Jan. 30 - Feb. 6.
“The mayor of Yomitan, the fishing companies, the local natio...
Marines representing each element of the Marine air-ground task force gathered to discuss and simulate the embarkation and debarkation process to and from the Republic of Korea during a card exercise here Feb. 1.
The purpose of the CardEx...
Marines and sailors with 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, arrived in the Hijudai Training Area Feb. 1-3 to conduct Artillery Relocation Training 11-4.
The regiment, part of 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, conducts...
Sixty Officers of the Japan Self-Defense Force Joint Staff College visited here as part of the Japan Observance Exchange Program Jan. 25.
The purpose of the JOEP is to allow members of both the U.S. Marine Corps and JSDF to share techniqu...
Marines from various units throughout the Pacific competed in the Far East Division Matches Jan. 13 to Feb. 3.
The competition serves as a starting point for Marines who can go on to compete at the national and international levels.
...
The Marine Corps Base Camp Butler Fire Department, in conjunction with local fire departments, renewed an agreement enabling joint fire fighting capabilities, during a ceremony at the Camp Hansen Fire Department Jan. 30.
The local fire de...
Marines with Golf Battery began the live-fire portion of the Fuji Combined Arms Operation here Jan. 17.
The overall purpose of the operation is to give Marine artillery units the opportunity to conduct live-fire training with their weapon...
Members of the Malaysian Armed Forces, U.S. Pacific Command and Marines and sailors of 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade participated in the Malaysia Staff Exercise 2012 here Jan. 10-17 to prepare for upcoming exercises.
The purpose of the...
Members of the Singapore Armed Forces Naval Diving Unit conducted diver-propulsion device training alongside Marines assigned to Company A, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, during Exercise Sandfisher, a bilateral exercise Jan. 12-17, conducted to fo...
A vacation in Japan, visiting with his son and grandchildren, reminiscing about the past that is what Ron Maines, a Rogers, Ark. native, had planned when he came to Okinawa. What he found while taking a stroll down memory lane, however, was not w...
Every piece of a puzzle has a specific spot where it fits correctly. Each piece contributes to the puzzle to make the picture whole. Sometimes the puzzle is missing a piece or two and requires someone with a keen eye to find the missing pieces an...
As the ferry drew closer to the dock of Oshima Island, two of its occupants began to get anxious. Standing on the second level of the ferry, Raymond W. Richards and his wife Motoko, braved the cold in hopes of getting that first glimpse of a memb...
After a carefully planned leap, U.S. Marines and members of the Singapore Armed Forces Naval Diving Unit made a splash landing off the coast of Singapore Jan. 12.
The Marines, part of Company A, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Di...
Marines with Communications Company prepared for upcoming exercises by learning about culture in the Republic of the Philippines Jan. 12.
When Marines go to another country they learn about that culture, so they know how to conduct themse...
Marines with Golf Battery, 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, conducted accountability checks and equipment inspections in preparation for upcoming artillery training here Jan. 15.
The artillery training offers Marines an opportunity to...
The Deputy Secretary of Defense released a memorandum Dec. 16 detailing procedures for possible expedited transfer of service members who file unrestricted reports of sexual assault.
According to the memorandum, service members who file c...
Japanese leaders met with nearly 30 members of the III Marine Expeditionary Force and Marine Corps Installations Pacific team at Sendai International Airport and Oshima Island, Japan, Jan. 12-13.
The visit allowed Japan and U.S. leadershi...
All migratory birds travel in groups. They come together to create various shapes and formations. There are many reasons why birds fly in formations. Some of these reasons include protection from predators, communication, navigation and aerodynam...
Cpl. Eric J. Hansen put his training to work recently, saving an elderly woman’s life in Mihama.
Hansen, a Marine with Marine Air Support Squadron 2, was eating at a local restaurant with friends Kathy Linker, Lisa A. Verville and Maelo C...
Marines and sailors with Special Operations Training Group participated in a basic lifesaver course on Camp Hansen Jan. 5.
SOTG, which is part of III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, participa...
Senior leaders with III Marine Expeditionary Force and Marine Corps Installations Pacific initiated annual safety training Jan. 9, which will be given on all installations on Okinawa.
All personnel were required to attend an operational s...
The Green Line riders on Okinawa have an important opportunity to to voice their opinions about the free transportation service through the customer feedback survey, which has been extended though Jan. 20.
The Green Line system’s mission ...
Marines with Amphibious Assault Vehicle Company conducted patrolling and military operations in urban terrain at Camp Hansen’s Combat Town Jan. 9.
The weeklong exercise was designed to maintain proficiency as a provisional infantry compan...
On January 16th, we pause to honor a great American warrior. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did not carry a rifle or wear a military uniform, but was a warrior nonetheless. He devoted his life to the great causes of freedom, justice and equality, an...
Marines and sailors of Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 1 visited here to conduct a study of the famous Battle of Iwo Jima as part of the unit’s professional military education program Dec. 16.
During the visit, more than 120 Marines fr...
U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa hosted a disaster response exercise in conjunction with the Ryukyu Warrior 2012 exercise Dec. 8 to fulfill Navy Medicine and Joint Commission requirements to annually test the facility’s disaster-response plan.
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Approximately 175 Marines and sailors with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion returned here from a deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom Dec. 12.
The Marines, part of 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, were on a...
Lt. Gen. Kenneth J. Glueck Jr., the commanding general of III Marine Expeditionary Force, and Maj. Gen. William D. Beydler, the commanding general of 1st Marine Ai...
3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade reactivated during a ceremony here Dec. 13 as Brig. Gen. Craig Q. Timberlake, the MEB’s commanding general, uncased the colors.
3rd MEB, a ...
In his planning guidance, the 35th commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James F. Amos, defines the Corps as America’s Expeditionary Force in Readiness – a balanced air-ground logistics team, forward-deployed and forward-engaged – shaping, trainin...
Bulk fuel is a much needed (military occupational specialty),” said Staff Sgt. Jay J. Jenkins, bulk fuel chief, Engineer Company. “When we are out here planning and implementing, it provides a good picture of how important (bulk fuel) is.”
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A helicopter hovers 25-feet above the deck of the ship as combat rubber raiding craft simultaneously crash through the waves toward the hostile vessel.
This was the scene as 30 Marines with Force Reconnaissance Platoon took part in a visi...
Marines with 7th Communications Battalion dispatched an array of communication equipment and established a secure working environment during their communications field exercise here Dec. 1.
The battalion, part of III Marine Expeditionary ...
U.S. Navy medical instructors led senior medical personnel with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force through the III Marine Expeditionary Force Tactical Medical Simulation Center during a tour of the facility here Nov. 30.
The visit gave i...
Marine pilots with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 262 flew soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group Airborne, as they conducted static-line parachute operations on Ie Shima Nov. 29, during Ryukyu Warrior 2012.
...
U.S. service members worked in tandem with their Royal Thai counterparts to provide flood relief at the Don Mueang International Airport here Nov. 29.
The U.S. service members and members of the Royal Thai Army transported flood -relief e...
Marines fired the M240G medium machine gun and the .50-caliber Browning machine gun to improve their fundamental knowledge of machine gunnery during Artillery Relocation Training Program 11-3 at the Combat Training Center, Camp Fuji, Japan, Nov. ...
We train like we fight.
Marines have worked to make countless training evolutions more realistic based on this mantra and the San Diego-based special effects and acting company, Strategic Operations, has helped bring training experiences ...
Military policeman with Combat Logistics Battalion 4 participated in tactical site exploitation training at the training city of Wardah-Mir, Marine Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Nov. 18.
The Marines conducted foot-pat...
Recent changes have been made to the Post-9/11 GI Bill taking the guesswork out of applying for and using the benefit.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides financial support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of co...
More than 34 Marines with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion’s advanced party returned to Okinawa Nov. 27, where they were met with open arms following a seven-month deployment to Afghanistan.
“It has been hard for all of us here not having the...
Marines with 1st Marine Aircraft Wing boarded KC-130J Hercules cargo aircraft bound for Ie Shima Nov. 28 where they will participate in this year’s iteration of Ryukyu Warrior.
The exercise is an annual Marine air command and control syst...
Marines with 1st Marine Aircraft Wing conducted tactical aerial refueling training here Nov. 29.
During the training, two AV-8B Harriers with Marine Attack Squadron 214, joined KC-130J Hercules cargo aircraft from Marine Aerial Refueler T...
U.S. service members together with the Royal Thai Army assisted Thai citizens with cleaning a school here Nov. 20 in the aftermath of serious flooding that has affected much of the country.
In coordination with the U.S. Embassy in Ban...
The lights dimmed and silence drew as more than 200 Taiko drummers took to the stage in front of a crowd of more than 7,000 spectators at the Nippon Budokan Arena, Tokyo.
This was the scene during the annual Japan Self-Defense Force Music...
The slack slowly disappeared from the steel cable until it stood perfectly taut a few feet off of the ground, pulling on the wreckage of a mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle with thousands of pounds of force.
The wreckage did not r...
More than 30 Marines and sailors participated in a Marine civil information management training class and working group here Nov. 7-9.
The training included hands-on practice with smartphones and tablets loaded with MarCIM, military softw...
Lt. Gen. Kenneth J. Glueck Jr., the III Marine Expeditionary Force commanding general, presented the Marine Corps Achievement in Safety Award to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265 on Marine Corps Air Station Futenma Nov. 16.
For its ac...
Marine Corps Installations Pacific, III Marine Expeditionary Force and Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji staff met with Shizuoka Prefecture leadership to discuss natural disaster damage mitigation and better cooperation between the Marine C...
Service members assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force flood relief command element gathered for an initial meeting with senior leaders for an overview of what to expect during their flood relief operations with the Royal Thai Government ...
Communicators with 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, provided critical communications assets necessary for artillery relocation training Nov. 16.
The communication Marines, part of 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, p...
Service members attached to the III Marine Expeditionary Force Flood Relief Command Element gathered together for an initial m...
Every Marine is a rifleman. This is a fact all Marines know and live by while in combat, but where would they be if the weapons meant to protect them did not operate correctly?
Armorers with Marine Wing Support Squadron 172, Marine Wing S...
Anticipation was evident on the faces of the Marines preparing for inspection. Food preparation, sanitation and appearance were just a few things on a long list of what needed to be perfect. As if the Marines at the field mess did not have enough...
Two Japan Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers, the first JGSDF service members to complete a Marine Corps command-sponsored corporals course, were recognized during a graduation ceremony here Nov. 5.
Sergeants Mai Iwata and Tomoshiro Nishi...
Marines and corpsmen conducted bilateral casualty evacuation rehearsals with members of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force here Nov. 9.
The rehearsals were conducted by the Marines and corpsmen of 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Ma...
Marines and sailors with 9th Engineer Support Battalion boarded aircraft here Nov. 12 and departed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, signaling the start of a deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
The battalion, part of 3rd ...
Two Marine Corps commanding generals, the commander of Kadena Air Base, and a key Navy leader, began preparing for Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month by signing a proclamation at the U.S. Naval Hospital here Nov. 8.
Lt. Gen. Kenne...
Lt. Gen. Duane D. Thiessen addressed Marines and answered their questions at four Marine Corps installations on Okinawa Nov. 9.
Thiessen, the commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, began each meeting explaining to the Marines the...
U.S. Pacific Command sent the III Marine Expeditionary Force flood-relief command element from here to the Kingdom of Thailand Nov. 14 to provide command and control for follow-on U.S. forces to support and assist the Royal Government of Thailand...
Marines live fired the M240 G medium machine gun and the .50 Cal. Browning heavy machine gun to improve their fundamental knowledge of machine gun teams during Artillery Relocation Training Program 11-3 here Nov. 12.
The Marines are from...
The message comes in and without hesitation a Marine quickly moves to the balcony overlooking the hangar and shouts, “gas, gas, gas,” signaling the escalation to mission-oriented protective posture level four.
This was the scene during Ma...
As the cool rain fell upon the Marines, the tents arose around them. They sprang up like weeds in an unattended garden. The once-barren ground started to look like a small village.
Twenty-five Marines set up tents to practice establishing...
Marines with Special Operations Training Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, and members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force participated in both helicopter and tactical rope suspension training here Nov. 2, as part of the Japan Observer Ex...
Marine leaders and civilian contractors from around Okinawa joined together to unveil the first supporting arms virtual trainer here Nov. 3.
The trainer enables real-time simulation based call-for-fire training for units on island.
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The Republic of Korea’s ambassador to Japan paid a visit to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma Nov. 2.
Ambassador Shin Kak Soo was given an in-depth tour of the installation and was briefed by the air station commanding officer and his staf...
A humanitarian assistance survey team returned here from Bangkok Nov. 5.
The team of nine Marines and one sailor from III Marine Expeditionary Force assessed the areas flooded by recent heavy rainfall Oct. 15 to Nov. 5. Their efforts help...
A group of Marines pushed through what it thought was an uninhabited town only to be fired upon by deadly insurgents positioned in a dwelling on the right side of the road.
As the two columns of Marines moved further into tow, they began ...
Marines with Military Police Company and Camp Courtney Security Augment Forces improved their shotgun close-range, rapid target engagement abilities at Landing Zone Wren in the Central Training Area Oct. 28.
MP Co., Headquarters Battalion...
The trumpets sounded and the drums beat as the Marines slowly marched to center stage. The colors were staged and the band sounded for the cake detail to bring forth the masterpiece, a birthday cake marking the Marine Corps’ 236th birthday.
...
U.S. and Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel celebrated the conclusion of Amphibious Landing Exercise 2012 during a closing ceremony at Fort Bonifacio here Oct. 28.
The ceremony culminated the 12-day exercise where Marines and sailo...
Marines with 1st Marine Aircraft Wing tested new technology here Oct. 28, that improves direct air support to troops on the ground.
Marines with Marine Air Support Squadron 2, Marine Air Control Group 18, 1st MAW, III Marine Expeditionary...
Marines with Marine Air Control Squadron 4 established a tactical air operations center here Oct. 24.
The mission of the TAOC was to support the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army during the quarterly Local Operational Readiness Exercise of...
The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing’s initiative to root out substance abuse in every form has now turned its focus to driving under the influence of alcohol.
Service members and dependents in Okinawa have likely noticed the anti-spice public se...
Marines with 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force held a battalion commander’s inspection at the bulk fuel depot on Camp Hansen Oct. 26.
During the inspection the battalion’s commandin...
Pink was the color of choice for joggers at a 5-kilometer run/walk, which started at the Camp Lester Fitness Center Oct. 22.
The run/walk was hosted by the Breast Health Center at U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa Health Promotions and was inte...
The Marine Corps Air Station Futenma fire department hosted about 40 kindergartners Oct. 20.
The students from Zukeran Elementary School, located on Camp Foster, took a field trip to the fire department as part of the school’s fire safety...
Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 172 pulled out all the stops to conduct a mock squadron embarkation, a force-readiness exercise on Camp Foster Oct. 21-28.
The squadron, part of Marine Wing Support Group 17, 1st Marine Aircraft W...
The 5th Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival began in downtown Naha Oct 13. Uchinanchu is Okinawan for “Okinawan people.”
The four-day festival is held to bring together those of Okinawan descent now living in other places around the world.
...
Marine bulk fuel specialists trained with 21 new and improved fuel pumps, capable of moving 600-gallons-per-minute, during a one-day course at the Marine Wing Support Squadron 172 fuels warehouse here Oct. 12.
Approximately 30 Marines fro...
Roughly 200 Marines laced up their shoes to run with numerous members from the other U.S. military services and civilians in a jog-a-thon hosted by the Kadena Special Olympics at Marek Park here Oct. 19.
The jog-a-thon was to raise awaren...
The III Marine Expeditionary Force family readiness officer, III MEF chaplain and a 3rd Marine Division representative, held the first Spouse Transition Too class Oct. 21 at the Camp Kinser Chapel.
The class was designed to help spouses o...
As of Oct. 24, Marine Corps Forces Japan had raised $225,000 in the first four weeks of the 2011 Combined Federal Campaign-Overseas.
This year, the CFC-O is celebrating 50 years of service, raising money for approximately 3,500 approved c...
U.S. Marines and sailors attached to 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade played basketball with Filipino students from Barangay Military High School here Oct. 14.
The U.S. armed forces are here in support of the annual Amphibious Landing Ex...
U.S. Marines in support of 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade visited the Gentle Hands Orphanage in Quezon City Oct. 21-23 as part of a community relations event during Amphibious Landing Exercise 2012.
Gentle Hands, a Christian child and ...
Military members often find themselves far removed from their hometowns and the luxuries of life that are not available in a forward-deployed environment. For the Marines and sailors participating in Amphibious Landing Exercise 2012, this is not ...
Marines with 9th Air Support Company, conducted parachute operations training with members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines here Oct. 20.
The training was part of Amphibious Landing Exercise 2012, a bilateral training exercise betwe...
U.S. Navy corpsmen attached to 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade conducted combat lifesaver training alongside their Filipino counterparts here, Oct. 17-18.
The training was part of Amphibious Landing Exercise 2012, a bilateral training ex...
U.S. and Philippine service members in support of Amphibious Landing Exercise 2012 worked together to improve their combat readiness through a virtual reality computer program here, Oct. 19.
The program, dubbed “Virtual Battlespace 2,” is...
More than 60 U.S. Marines, sailors and airmen assigned to 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade and seabees from the Philippine navy have recently been working together to construct a new school here.
The armed forces of the Philippines and U...
Service members assigned to the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade teamed up with members of the Philippine Marine Corps and local health professionals to conduct a two-day medical civil action project during Amphibious Landing Exercise 2012 here, ...
More than a dozen embarkation specialists and embarker representatives from various units within 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, conducted center of balance training for loading ships and aircraft, on Camp Kinser Oct. ...
Approximately 80 Marines donned flak jackets and Kevlar helmets before briskly stepping off for a small-unit leadership exercise along a six-mile route on the Habu Trail at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma Oct. 14.
The course refreshed th...
A humanitarian assistance survey team, consisting of 9 Marines and 1 sailor from III Marine Expeditionary Force, departed for Bangkok, Thailand, to assess the flooded areas and determine potential humanitarian assistance and disaster relief suppo...
Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Marines and an airman took the Fire Officer One course here Oct. 3-14.
The course taught the ARFF personnel to run an incident command, said Joe A. McNeece, a retired fire chief with 30 years experience, w...
Community members joined to remember children lost to miscarriages, stillbirth and newborn death during the 3rd Annual Angel Babies Walk to Remember observance at the chapel on Camp Lester Oct. 15.
Each year, 870,000 babies die due to mis...
The American Red Cross is providing dental assistant training opportunities for military spouses and status of forces agreement personnel in a course which begins Oct. 31.
The individuals chosen for the dental assistant course will receiv...
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