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  • March

    JED representatives Dr. Rex Mols, OAO’s Host Nation Branch Chief, and Brian Ciccocioppo, Resident Engineer of Okinawa’s Torii Office, judge a science fair being held at the AmerAsia school in Okinawa. The school is home to 63 students, most being half Japanese and half American. The two Engineers have volunteered their own time to encourage interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) at the local school as a way of giving back to the local Okinawan community.

    Engineering Science in Okinawa

    It’s not uncommon to find members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) interacting with students in a school setting. This is part of the USACE science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) initiative, worldwide. Overseas in Japan, one would think you could find America’s Engineers working together with children at any number of Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools as well, and they are. Engineers from the USACE’s Japan Engineer District work directly with DoDEA students and classes, promoting STEM and engineering in general.

  • February

    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.
  • From left, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense Health Agency, Ms. Seileen Mullen, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Hon. Gilbert R. Cisneros, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Joseph Heck, the director of Department for Health Affairs Region Indo-Pacific to Japan, and Maj. Gen. JB Vowell, U.S. Army Japan Commanding General, receives a question from a Department of Defense civilian, during a ‘space available’ town hall, January 31, 2023. The town hall was held in response to DoD civilians being restricted to ‘space available’ clinic visits after a mandate released in 2017 prioritized active-duty Servicemembers and their families, or those who were covered by the military health plan TRICARE Prime.

    Defense Health Agency to Japan: "We Hear You!"

    It’s no secret that Department of Defense civilians working in Japan are having a difficult time navigating healthcare options in Japan. This is due to restrictions placed on the usage of military-operated hospitals and clinics whose administration and management has recently fallen to the Defense Health Agency (DHA). The agency received a mandate from Congress in 2017 instructing them to prioritize treatment for active-duty service members, their families, and others covered by the military health plan TRICARE Prime, a service only available to Servicemembers on active duty, their immediate family, or as a benefit for someone who is retired from the military.

  • 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.