TOKYO – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Japan District welcomed senior leaders from across the Pacific to provide firsthand insight into the district's projects, partnerships and operating environment from July 20-23 in Tokyo.
“I hope our regional leaders walk away with a profound appreciation for the unique complexities of our operational environment and the exceptional dedication of our workforce,” said Col. Patrick Biggs, commander, USACE JED. “Operating in Japan requires expertly navigating a nuanced, bilateral construction program while maintaining seamless integration with U.S. Forces Japan, our partners across all the service components, the Government of Japan, and our host nation contractors.”
Throughout the week, participants collaborated on ways to transform processes and adopt new approaches that enable faster, more agile delivery of infrastructure across the Pacific.
“USACE is modernizing how we design and build to deliver projects faster and cheaper,” said Jamie Hagio, Construction Division Chief, USACE Far East District. “The SLS brings regional leaders together to actively collaborate, share strategies, and drive this transformation. Drawing upon our collective experience and insight, our leadership is blazing a new path to improve our project delivery.”
The attendees heard from U.S. Forces Japan on the host nation program, allowing them to understand the program structure and a stakeholder JED works closely with.
"Japan District knows that the key to successful mission delivery is high engagement and constant communication: with industry, with our stakeholders and DOW service components, with our borrowed resources/expertise from across USACE, and with our bilateral partners," said Steve Karwan, Engineering Division, USACE JED.
The seminar included a day of project site visits at Yokota Air Base, where leaders observed military construction projects that support readiness and regional deterrence.
“Very rarely is a building constructed in our programs that does not serve a part of a larger mission,” said Jim Wolff, Construction Division Chief, USACE JED. “Visiting a campus with multiple projects in stages of simultaneous delivery shows this interconnection in a very visual manner.”
With temperatures exceeding 90 degrees Fahrenheit at the sites, the experience also highlighted environmental conditions that the projects must consider throughout construction.
“It is important for senior leaders to experience with their own senses the scope, complexity, and magnitude of large vertical construction projects such as hangars,” Wolff said. “Personally experiencing environmental factors such as the heat and humidity drives home the challenging conditions in which our Teams must deliver.”
The conditions prompted discussion about the differences among the Pacific Ocean Division's districts while reinforcing a shared commitment to worker safety. Leaders exchanged perspectives on measures used across the region, including access to water, cooling areas, shade and other controls designed to prevent heat-related injuries.
Ultimately, hosting the seminar ensured the JED could show how the district is building deterrence through infrastructure in the region.
For Japan District leaders, hosting the seminar provided an opportunity to demonstrate how the district's work supports the alliance between the United States and Japan while contributing to regional security.
“I want them to understand how our team comprising both our U.S. personnel and our highly skilled Japanese local national employees directly enables the broader security and stability of the Pacific,” Biggs said. “The work JED does is complex, it is strategic, and it is vital to the mission.”