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Author: Patrick Ciccarone
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  • May

    Col. Patrick Biggs, Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Japan District (USACE JED) explains the fundamentals of engineers to a group of John O. Arnn Elementary School students during their annual Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) Day event, April 23, 2025. As part of the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) curriculum, Arnn’s STEAM Day is a fast-paced event where students are introduced to the dynamic world of STEAM.

    Full STEAM ahead at Arnn Elementary

    It was a day of hands-on learning, as Col. Patrick Biggs, Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of

  • February

    Yuzen Kurokawa, Rina Koyama, and Ryohei Kojima, pose for a photo at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Japan Engineer District, August 28th, 2023. The interns joined USACE JED for a period of 4-weeks as participants in U.S. Army Garrison Japan’s (USAGJ) annual Summer Internship Program. The three college-aged students spent their time at JED learning about American work culture, practicing business-level English conversation, and creating material to assist their designated work centers.

    Japan Engineer District begins pilot Japanese intern program

    For the last several weeks, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Japan Engineer District (USACE JED)
  • A large kite, supported by over 50 members of a local Zama City fire department, takes flight during the Sagamihara ‘Giant Kite festival’ May 4th, 2023. Held traditionally since the early 1800s, coinciding with the ‘Golden Week’ holidays of Greenery Day and Children’s Day, the festival pits Zama and Sagamihara cities against each other as each team tries to hoist their massive kite into the air for the longest possible time. These kites, sometimes spanning a whopping 48-feet-wide and weighing almost one ton, require the help of several dozens of people and a support line totaling 650-feet in length.

    'Giant Kite festival' takes flight at Sagamihara

    The Oodako matsuri, or Giant Kite festival, is held annually along the Sagamihara riverbank near Camp Zama, every year on Greenery, and Children’s Day (May 4th and 5th, respectively) – a part of Japan’s ‘Golden Week,’ a string of holidays lasting from May 1st to May 7th.
  • U.S. Army 1st Lieutenant Andrew Gilbert, a project engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Japan Engineer District (USACE JED) Kanagawa Resident Office, poses with members of the 3rd company’s Eastern Army Japanese Ground Self- Defense Force (JGSDF) members for a commemorative photo, at Camp Asaka, February 2023. Gilbert, through the U.S. Army Japan’s (USARJ) Bilateral Co-Op Program, went to the JGSDF camp to learn their engineering mission, and immerse in Japanese culture.

    Fish out of water: a Soldier's week with the JGSDF

    1st Lieutenant Andrew Gilbert, a project Engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Japan Engineer District (USACE JED) Kanagawa Resident Office, experienced his first-time usage of heavy equipment, such as an excavator and steamroller, courtesy of his Japanese host nation teammates, the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF).
  • From left to right, Mr. Joseph Scala, Camp Hansen’s Camp Director, Ms. Aiko Shimajiri, Japanese House of Representatives member, Marine Corps Installations Pacific (MCIPAC) Commanding General, Maj. Gen. Stephen E. Liszewski, Okinawa Defense Bureau (ODB) Director, Mr. Isao Ono, Camp Hansen’s Commander, Marine Col. Rich Martin, and Kin Town Mayor, Mr. Hajime Nakama, stand poised to cut a ribbon during the Camp Hansen main gate opening ceremony, Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was the culmination of over 4-and-a-half-years of planning and construction to provide residents of Okinawa an easier commute in the local area of Kin Town and Camp Hansen.

    Hansen celebrates new main gate opening

    A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held under the warm Okinawan sun, at Marine Corps Installations Pacific (MCIPAC) Camp Hansen, Wednesday, March 22nd.
  • Shannon Vo, Lead Health Educator and Director for the Camp Zama Army Wellness Center, briefs participants during a nutrition course, February 21, 2023. Courses like the health nutrition, pictured above, are among six kinds offered to Department of Defense (DoD) civilians and their families, along with active-duty servicemembers living and working on Camp Zama.

    Camp Zama's Army Wellness Center - engineering a holistic approach to health

    Have you found yourself feeling listless recently? Too many hours glued to your work computer, crunching numbers, or browsing the same websites day-in and day-out? Have your 5-day-a-week trips to the Post Exchange food court thrown your diet and shape out of tune? How about your mental health – has all the above got you feeling a bit blue? Fear not – there exists a one-stop facility on Camp Zama that can help you get back on the track to a better lifestyle!
  • Zama City General Hospital, located outside the gates of Camp Zama, is a frequented healthcare provider for Department of Defense civilians to seek medical assistance. The hospital has been recently renovated to include space for new technology and added rooms for patients. Numerous Japanese hospitals often offer their services to foreign clientele and feature English-speaking staff members and are familiar with American personnel. Photo courtesy of Zama City General Hospital.

    A friendly guide to visiting a Japanese doctor

    The thought of seeing a foreign doctor in a foreign country while navigating a foreign healthcare system can understandably leave Department of Defense (DoD) civilians and their families living and working in Japan in a state of worry. The intimidation of venturing off-installation to see Japanese healthcare providers is an experience many opt to avoid to the detriment of their own health and peace of mind.

  • January

    Rock-N-Roll Burrito, a family-owned Mexican cantina-style establishment located near Naval Air Facility Atsugi, January 24, 2023. Owned by Peruvian native and long-time Japanese resident Hajime Higa and his family, Rock-N-Roll Burrito has offered freshly made Mexican cuisine to hungry U.S. Servicemembers and their families for nearly a decade.

    From South of the Border to the Far East

    ‘Hecho con mucho amor’ – Made with immense love. Written in vibrantly red cursive, the Spanish phrase adorns the entranceway to a kitchen, sectioned off with saloon-style swinging doors. The rhythmic beat of salsa music and scent of simmering meats and unique tang of cilantro embraces you. As you look around, your eyes are drawn to the red and yellow walls decorated with imagery of a sombrero-clad boy and his donkey, and the golden glow of still-warm empanadas resting, bringing you back to your local Tex-Mex joint back home.

  • November

    Japan Engineer District’s commander, Col. Gary Bonham, made a visit to the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force’s (JGSDF) engineer school in Ibaraki, Japan, recently.

    Building structures and forging bonds – a visit to the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force Engineer School

    Japan Engineer District’s commander, Col. Gary Bonham, made a visit to the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force’s (JGSDF) engineer school in Ibaraki, Japan, recently.
  • Gilbert and Kohara were brought together by the Co-Op program, a bilateral exchange opportunity created by U.S. Army Japan and JGSDF, that pairs junior officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) with their foreign counterpart to enhance English and Japanese language comprehension skills, learn about each other’s cultures, familiarize themselves with their respective branches’ doctrines and techniques, all with the goal of strengthening the strategic alliance between America and Japan.

    Brothers in Arms

    Gilbert and Kohara were brought together by the Co-Op program, a bilateral exchange opportunity created by U.S. Army Japan and JGSDF, that pairs junior officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) with their foreign counterpart to enhance English and Japanese language comprehension skills, learn about each other’s cultures, familiarize themselves with their respective branches’ doctrines and techniques, all with the goal of strengthening the strategic alliance between America and Japan.

  • October

    Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer – Japan Engineer District (USACE JED) attended the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) forum held at the New Sanno hotel in Roppongi.

    JED Engineer team collaborates at SAME forum

    TOKYO, Japan -- Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer – Japan Engineer District (USACE JED) attended the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) forum held at the New Sanno hotel in Roppongi.
  • JED awarded a whopping 341 contract actions— purchases of facility construction or repairs, supplies or equipment for the laymen, totaling $434 million during FY22, the largest year on record, and an astounding $269 million more than previously executed compared to FY21.

    JED ‘demolishes’ fiscal year record

    JED awarded a whopping 341 contract actions— purchases of facility construction or repairs, supplies or equipment for the laymen, totaling $434 million during FY22, the largest year on record, and an astounding $269 million more than previously executed compared to FY21.

  • September

    The Workforce Recruitment Program, or WRP, is a recruitment and referral program that connects public and private sector employers nationwide with highly motivated postsecondary students and recent graduates with disabilities who are eager to prove their abilities in the workplace through paid summer or permanent jobs.

    Workforce Recruitment Program offers opportunities for JED employees and families

    The Workforce Recruitment Program, or WRP, is a recruitment and referral program that connects public and private sector employers nationwide with highly motivated postsecondary students and recent graduates with disabilities who are eager to prove their abilities in the workplace through paid summer or permanent jobs.

  • August

    Lawrence Seeba, or Lee, as he is affectionately known around the office, is retiring after a total of 37 years of civilian service and was awarded the Civilian Service Commendation Medal. He was the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Japan Engineer District (JED) Chief of Construction division.

    JED Chief of Construction hangs up his hardhat

    Lawrence Seeba, or Lee, as he is affectionately known around the office, is retiring after a total of 37 years of civilian service and was awarded the Civilian Service Commendation Medal. He was the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Japan Engineer District (JED) Chief of Construction division.
  • ‘Safe + Sound’ week is a nationwide campaign created by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), held each August to recognize the successes of workplace health and safety programs. Agencies like the Army Wellness Center, Fire & Emergency Services, and Army Public Health Command as well as JED’s Safety and Logistics offices all provided information to attendees.

    Japan Engineer District practices being ‘safe’ and ‘sound’

    CAMP ZAMA, Japan – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Japan Engineer District (JED) kicked-off their annual ‘Safe + Sound’ safety week with an awards ceremony hosted by JED commander, Col. Gary Bonham, August 16, 2022.
  • Trekking out to the body of water located between the Sagamihara and Atsugi areas of the Kanagawa prefecture, the joint-U.S. and Japanese team’s goal was to compete in a team-building exercise – one that comprised over 50 JGSDF soldiers, whose ages ranged from 18-35.

    JED Engineers participate in bilateral boat race on Lake Miyagase

    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Japan District personnel accompanied Advanced Individual Training recruits from the Japan Ground Self Defense Force 4th Engineer Group to Lake Miyagase for a training exercise on August 5th.