VOLUME 49 NUMBER 13 MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, JAPAN APRIL 2, 2004

INSIDE

www.iwakuni.usmc.mil

IWAKUNI WEATHERTodayRainHigh: 62

SaturdayPartly CloudyHigh: 63

SundayRainHigh: 59

Marine shares story to help othersA Marine convicted of attempted raperesulting in injury, warns Marines.

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Utilities platoon powers up KoreaExercise Foal Eagle is ongoing, withMarine Wing Support Squadron 171leading the way with utilities.

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CAMP FUJI, Japan — Marinesfrom Marine Wing SupportSquadron 171 took to the hills thisweek in 20-degree weather in sup-port of Exercise Foal Eagle atCamp Fuji.

The purpose of the trainingexercise was to split the squad-ron into three fully operationalgroups. One group deployed toKorea, one to Camp Fuji, and therest of the squadron remained inMarine Corps Air StationIwakuni, Japan to practice oper-ating under minimal staffing.

While the Marines trained inKorea, the group supporting FoalEagle in Camp Fuji establishedcommunication with them. Aftercommunication was in place, theremainder of the exercise included com-bat training with the Marines enhanc-ing their proficiency at defending a for-ward operating air base.

“It was good to go and realistic,”said Sgt. Jeffrey M. Raggi, MWSS-171motor transport operator. “In combateveryone is going to be moving in dif-ferent directions and they have no cluewhat’s going on. Then the directionschange in the blink of an eye. You haveto know how to adapt and overcome.”

Training in the shadow of Mt. FujiCPL. RANDY L. B ERNARD

Combat Correspondent

Marines deployed to Foal Eagle Fujisharpened their skills with rifles, shot-guns, automatic machine guns, handgrenades, and even had the opportu-nity to cross train with artillery batteriesalready in place at Camp Fuji. They hadthe opportunity to train with Army UH-60 Blackhawks from Camp Zama, Japan.

Raggi, a Kissimmee, Fla. native,added this cross-training is what madeeverything so realistic.

“Doing joint training during an exer-

Lance Cpl. Brian Henner

Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 Marines exit an Army UH-61 Black Hawkto establish a defense during Exercise Foal Eagle at Camp Fuji, Japan.

cise lets you know how it would be inan actual combat situation,” he said.“Marines from a support squadron gotto go out to a ground unit such as the12th Marines and get some joint train-ing and see how the regimental unitsactually do combat training.”

Along with weapon skills, the Ma-rines set up a base camp, conductedland navigation, conditioning hikes, andsquad and fire team movements to keepup with their basic Marine training.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2004 —Foreign-born service members cannow speed up the process to obtainAmerican citizenship.

The immediate eligibility for ser-vice members to become a natural-ized citizen is based on ExecutiveOrder 13269 signed by PresidentGeorge W. Bush on July 3, 2002. Sec-tion 329 of the 8 U.S. Code allowsthe president to authorize expeditedcitizenship during periods in whichthe United States is engaged in armedconflict with a hostile foreign force.

For example, members who haveserved honorably for any period oftime beginning on or after Sept. 11,2001, are eligible to apply for expe-dited U.S. citizenship, Air Force Col.Michael A. Pachuta, director of theDepartment of Defense’s Morale,Welfare and Recreation policy office,told American Forces Radio and Tele-vision Service during a Feb. 20 inter-view.

The peacetime waiting period isshortened to one year of honorableservice, thanks to the fiscal 2004

Citizenship speedsup for military

GERRY J. GILMORE

American Forces Press Service

see CITIZENSHIP Page 4

Summertime is on the horizon and rolling right along withit is bicycling.

Station residents are reminded that bicycling, along withother summer sports, requires that safety be paramount. Safetyis a general term all should adhere to. But the Provost Marshal’sOffice has put an extra emphasis on bicycle safety.

“First and foremost are helmets. It is a Station order that allpersonnel riding a bicycle must wear a helmet,” said MasterSgt. Eric A. Drummond, PMO operations chief. “A miscon-ception people have is that once they go off the Station theyare allowed to not wear helmets. Helmets should be worn onand off the Station.

“If someone is caught riding a bicycle without a helmet,they can get a Minor Offense Report. And it’s really not worthit. It’s also a major inconvenience. Suppose somebody getsstopped for riding without a helmet all the way near PennyLake and they live in the Monzen Housing, they will have towalk the bike all the way back home,” said Drummond.

“The easiest and safest things for everyone is to followthe traffic rules. That includes not only riding with an ap-

Station bicyclists heed safety warningLANCE CPL. RUBEN D. CALDERON

Combat Correspondentproved helmet but also riding on the right side of the road,”said Patrick Brown, Station safety program administrator.“Within the last two weeks there have been two differentaccidents involving bicyclists. And it’s sometimes thebicyclist’s fault.

“Both pedestrians and bicyclist have the right-of-way butit doesn’t mean they cannot be found liable for the accident ifthey were responsible. Bicyclists should be aware of wherethey are going and where drivers are,” Brown said.

“If someone breaks the law while riding a bicycle, conse-quences will happen,” Drummond stated. “We’ve had a per-son get charged with driving under the influence while ridinga bicycle. The person was intoxicated and riding on a bike.” Ifhe wouldn’t have gotten stopped, the situation could havebeen much worse, he said.

Riding a bicycle to get around the Station, and to go totown, is more economical and healthier. Although accidentswill occur, riders must always be aware and cautious, saidDrummond.

“It’s good to go bicycling. I enjoy it. I have a couple ofbicycles. It’s important to always be careful. That’s the mostimportant thing for all Station residents to know; to be care-ful,” said Drummond.

Commanding Officer/Publisher

Col. Dave Darrah

Public Affairs OfficerCapt. Stewart T. Upton

Public Affairs ChiefMaster Gunnery Sgt.

Constance Dillard

Press ChiefStaff Sgt. Brenda L. Varnadore

Operations ChiefStaff Sgt. Nicholas P. McLaren

Combat CorrespondentsCpl. Dave Boni

Cpl. Robert WynkoopLance Cpl. Giovanni LobelloLance Cpl. David P. Revere

Lance Cpl. Ruben D. CalderonPfc. Lydia Davey

Information/EditorialSpecialist

Yukiko Mitsui

“This weekly newspaper is anauthorized publication for membersof the military services stationedoverseas and their families. Its con-tents do not necessarily reflect theofficial views of the U.S. Govern-ment, the Department of Defense orthe U.S. Marine Corps, and does notimply endorsement thereof.”

Editorial content is edited, pre-pared and provided by the PublicAffairs Office of Marine Corps AirStation Iwakuni, Japan.

All queries concerning newsand editorial content should be di-rected to the Public Affairs Office,Building 1, Room 216, MCASIwakuni, Japan. Call 253-5551.

PSC 561 Box 1868FPO AP 96310-0029

Phone 253-5551Fax 253-5554

PAGE 2 OPINIONTORII TELLER, APRIL 2, 2004

The Torii Teller wel-comes Letter to the Editorsubmissions. Letters are theopinion of the writer only.Submissions can be editedfor clarity and space. Let-ters can be dropped off atthe Public Affairs Office orsent via e-mail to mclarennp@iwakuni.usmc.mil ordillardcs@iwakuni.usmc.mil.

Being clean, neat and organizedhas one ultimate goal in the military: toimprove mission accomplishment.When our environment is kept neatand organized, things tend to runsmoothly. The Rifleman’s Creed states“I will keep my rifle clean and ready,even as I am clean and ready.” It isingrained into our military culture tomaintain a neat appearance in all thatwe do.

These are ideals which have beenconstantly instilled into me during mybrief career in the Marine Corps by mysuperiors. Before I left for boot camp,I asked a brand new Marine what toexpect, and he replied, “We did a lot ofcleaning.”

Every week, Marines and Sailors inmy barracks are assigned the respon-sibility of doing a daily police call.This keeps the area around mybarracks neat and reflects a squaredaway military appearance. Of courseit’s not fun to get up earlier than usualand pick up cigarette butts off theasphalt, but it’s understood that it’s

I believe in grumbling; it is the politest form of fightingknown. — Ed Howe

I agree with Ed. What I’d like to address is the tone ofhis statement, because it’s in exactly that way that I preferto criticize, to hilarious effect (at least in my own humbleopinion). More importantly, however, I criticize to effectiveeffect.

In a sense, complaining is picking a fight, but in aparticularly civilized way. Face it, confrontation is going tohappen, so you might as well beas evolved as you can and tusslethe way cavemen only wish theycould: in the wonderful realm ofabstract thought.

Accordingly, people nowa-days complain about everything.This is inevitable. Comediansmake a living out of complaint,and amateurs have their eveningsand weekends booked solid forthe rest of their lives.

Unfortunately, especially inthe stupendous forum that is the editorial section, the wayto go about it seems to confuse people. Some adopt astrategy akin to the Shock and Awe approach used inOperation Iraqi Freedom. That’s one way to complain, butit really kind of has it’s own category, the title of which is acurse-word. This aptly-named course of complaint usuallywarrants exactly the same response, no matter towardwhom it’s directed: “Quit‘cher<BLEEP>>ing.”

That doesn’t mean I think complaining should beconducted over brunch with tea and tiny sandwiches, nordo I think parent consent permission slips should be signedbefore complaints are voiced. In fact, I feel that being toocautious when criticizing accomplishes less than kicking in

Leaders forget field dayLANCE CPL. ADAM TUSTIN

Combat Correspondentsomething that has to be done.

So why, on my way to work, aftermy fellow service members and I haveensured that our responsibility ofmaintaining a clean environment hasbeen met, do I walk past a barrackslittered with cigarette butts, papersand other trash?

The barracks I refer to is the staffnoncommissioned officers barracks,the last in a row of four I pass on theway to work.

Every great leader does so first byexample, so what kind of impressiondoes it give when the least maintainedbarracks in a line of four belongs tothose with the highest rank?

I heard that paid contractorsmaintain the inside of the SNCObarracks, but they either aren’tresponsible for, or neglect the outsideof the building. Either way, I wouldexpect my Marines (if I had some) totake the initiative and maintain thebarracks where they live.

I assume the reason why there’sno formal, organized method ofmaintaining the SNCO barracks isbecause service members who haveserved long and well enough to

become SNCOs are expected to becapable of taking the responsibilityfor themselves. But that’s nothappening.

The bottom line to me is integrity.When an order from a superiorcontradicts his or her behavior, it’shypercritical. It’s also less effective.Leaders should hold themselves to thesame high standards they hold theirMarines to.

SNCOs and officers living inhousing are held to a high standard asfar as the appearance around theirhousing units, so why should it bedifferent if they live in the barracks? Itshouldn’t, any lance corporal orprivate first class could tell you that.

Maybe I should take the responsi-bility. Take time on my way to work toensure that some of the highest-ranking enlisted personnel on thestation look more professional.

But there is so much trash scat-tered all around the SNCO barracks, Iwould have to spend a long timepolice calling and be late for work.Then I would have to answer to mySNCO.

Light, dark sides of complaintLANCE CPL. CHARLIE FOSTER

Combat Correspondentdoors and throttling innocent bystanders. One must beassertive for a complaint to accomplish anything.

So here’s what I propose. I say, make your complaintmemorable. I say, construct a body of irrefutable evidence,organize it, explore avenues of doubt, and resolve thosesides of the argument. But, most importantly… make yourcomplaint funny. You’ll be proud of yourself. People willside with you simply because they enjoyed what you said.

Also, the co-owner of your dispute will be at oncedefeated, temporarily if not for good, because you were atleast cool enough to add wit to an already potent recipe forwasted time. If you’re not doing it for yourself, if you’re

not doing it for others involved,and if you’re not doing it to sockit to your situational opposition,be funny for me. I usually don’tcare about your topic, and I wantto be entertained. I realize some will say, “Whatabout serious complaints? Youcan’t make light of a seriouscomplaint, then your observationwon’t be taken seriously.” To thatI say, you’re complaint is rarelyserious.

But, if you take the time to cleverly put together anintelligent position that finds the funny bone like a ShaolinMonk finds the pressure point, then you’ll get my atten-tion. Then I’ll have an opinion on your topic. It willprobably be yours. That’s because humor is a universallanguage that transcends gender, age, regional background,ethnic background, and every other demographic.

When done correctly, stating your mind can transmitpicture-perfect perspective to everyone within earshot, butyou have to give folks something they want in order to getwhat you want.

I want to laugh at you. If you decide to make me laughwith you, that works, too.

“Some adopt a strategy akin tothe Shock and Awe approach used

in Operation Iraqi Freedom.That’s one way to complain, but itreally kind of has it’s own category,the title of which is a curse-word.”

Lance Cpl. Charlie FosterCombat Correspondent

NEWS BRIEFSRELIGIOUS SERVICE TIMES

u Rite of Reconciliation (PenanceService) - Tuesday, 4:30 p.m.u Chrism Mass, Peace MemorialCathedral Hiroshima (depart 2 p.m.),Wednesday, 4 p.m.u Holy Thursday, mass of the Lord’sSupper, Thursday, 6 p.m.u Good Friday, Service of the Lord’sPassion, April 9, 5:30 p.m.u Easter Holy Saturday night mass ofthe Easter Vigil, April 10, 8 p.m. (Call 253-5218 for more information.)u Easter Sunday, mass of theResurrection of the Lord, April 11, 9:30a.m.

SCHOOL REREGISTER

Matthew C. Perry school students whoare returning for the 2004-2005 school yearmust reregister. Both the elementary andthe high schools will hold registrationsessions Monday through April 9. Call theelementary school at 253-3447 or the highschool at 253-5448 for times.

FIELD MAINTENANCE

The Northside football field will be off-limits until further notice to allow requiredfield maintenance to be completed. Thecooperation of everyone is needed toensure the improvement of the conditionof the playing area at this facility.

NEWS PAGE 3TORII TELLER, APRIL 2, 2004

A Marine from Headquarters andHeadquarters Squadron here was foundguilty of attempted rape resulting inbodily injury in a Japanese court March18, and cautions fellow Marines aboutthe ordeal he went through and the im-portance of all service members’ roles ina foreign country.

Private First Class William E. McIn-tosh, an administrative clerk, spent fourmonths in the military detention facilityon the Station and then spent more thanthree months at the Tokuyama Deten-tion House awaiting his trial to complete.

“I didn’t realize the impact I alonecould make on the community,” he said.“I created an international incident andthat was the furthest from my mind.”

Maj. George Cadwalader, Stationdeputy staff judge advocate, said it isimportant for McIntosh to tell his story.

“It is important for Marines to un-

Marine shares story to help prevent incidentsSTAFF SGT. BRENDA VARNADORE

Press Chiefderstand one bad decision can have anenormous impact on their lives,” saidCadwalader. “And on the relationshipbetween Japan andthe United States.”

McIntosh, whowas sentenced tothree years hard la-bor, suspended forfour years, said hedoesn’t want anyMarines to have tosit in a cell, wherenobody likes thembecause they hurtone of “theirs.”

“It was the loneliest time of my life,”said McIntosh. “I don’t want to reliveit, but I have to let the other guys know.It is important for them to realize thatthey need to have a liberty buddy, nomatter what rank they are, and they needto listen to them.”

After a night of drinking, McIntoshgot in an altercation with his friends,

who then left him on his own. He admit-ted to a downward spiral of “stupid de-cisions.” McIntosh said he realizes the

repercussions ofhis actions willstay with him for-ever. “When I sat injail, all I couldthink about iswhat I would do ifthat were mydaughter,” he said.“When I see mydaughter’s faceand someone like

me, well it’s definitely a gut check.”Remorseful for his actions, McIn-

tosh said if he shared his story, otherswould think twice about what they dowhen they are out in town.

“There is a woman who is terrifiedto walk down the street, afraid to leaveher house, no matter what time of day itis,” said McIntosh. “When she sees a

Marine or an American, she is going torun in the other direction. That is myfault and I can not do anything to makethat go away.”

McIntosh is now pending separa-tion from the Marine Corps and is look-ing at how this incident will affect therest of his life.

“I am going to have to give a back-ground check and this will affect me,”he said. “I have to go to any job I getand think, who am I going to offend justbeing here.”

Before McIntosh finishes his Ma-rine Corps career, he has one last mes-sage for his peers.

“When you go out with your libertybuddy, it is like you signed a contract,”he said. “It’s almost like the battlefield,don’t leave each other.”

“Right now it is really hard lookingin the mirror and realizing that personyou hear about is you,” McIntoshadded. “Sometimes it makes you notwant to look again.”

“When I sat in jail, all Icould think about is whatI would do if that were my

daughter.”

Private First ClassWilliam E. McIntosh

Headquarters and Head-quarters Squadron

By order of the secretary of defense, a new medalwill be available for all military personnel that are eli-gible to receive it.

President George W. Bush approved the implemen-tation of the Global War On Terrorism ExpeditionaryMedal March 12.

“There are a lot of people on this Station that willreceive this medal,” according to Chief Warrant Of-ficer Gary P. Parks, Station personnel officer. “But thereare a lot of procedures that must go underway beforethey can receive it.”

“To qualify for the medal,” according to Parks,“Marines must have deployed abroad for service insupport of Global War on Terrorism operations begin-ning Sept. 11, 2001. Approved operations for the medalare Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.”

Donald Rumsfeld, secretary of defense, along withJoint Chiefs of Staff have the authority to approve anddesignate future operations eligible for the medal, saidParks.

One of the biggest attributes to receive the medal

Medal for fight against terrorismLANCE CPL. RUBEN D. CALDERON

Combat Correspondentis to be beyond the coast of the United States.

To receive the medal, one must be in a “ foreignland, water, and air spaces outside the 50 states of theUnited States and outside 200 nautical miles of theshores of the United States,” Parks said.

Some of the countries that must be occupied inorder to receive the medal are Afghanistan, Bahrain,Bulgaria, Crete, Cyprus, Diego Garcia, Djibouti, Egypt,Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Suez Canal, Israel, Jordan,Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Leba-non, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, United Arab Emir-ates, Uzbekistan, Yemen and Bab El Mandeb. Severalgulfs are included as well: Gulfs of Aden, Aqaba, Oman,Suez and the Persian Gulf.

“In order to be eligible for the medal, a Marine mustbe assigned, attached or mobilized to a unit participat-ing in Operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedomfor more than 30 days in any of the countries,” Parksstated.

Marines who were honorably separated from ser-vice and who meet the criteria, are also eligible for themedal.

In October 2003, Marines from Marine Air ControlSquadron 4, Detachment B were deployed to the coun-

try Uzbekistan for sixmonths. Now all theMACS-4, Det. B Marinesdeployed are eligible for theGWOTEM. “It feels good to beawarded the medal. Wewent out there (Uzbekistan)and we did our job. We didwhat we’re supposed todo,” said Sgt. Robert J.Trent, MACS-4 radar tech-nician. If you have any ques-tions regarding the GlobalWar On Terrorism Expedi-tionary Medal, contactChief Warrant Officer Parksat 253-3254.

PAGE 4 FEATURETORII TELLER, APRIL 2, 2004

CITIZENSHIP from Page 1

National Defense AuthorizationAct. Prior to the executive order, thepeacetime waiting period, Pachutapointed out, was three years ofhonorable military service.

Effective Oct. 1, 2004, he con-tinued, the new law allows for U.S.citizenship applications to be final-ized at U.S. embassies, consulatesand selected military installationsoverseas, to include citizenship in-terviews, testing, and oaths of alle-giance. Also effective Oct. 1, thenew law waives the $310 citizenshipapplication and fingerprint fee.

The new law also providesfaster avenues for the non-U.S.-citi-zen spouses, children and parentsof service members who have diedas a result of service in combat toobtain “immediate relative” alien

April is National Child AbusePrevention Month and the Month ofthe Military Child. To bring togetherthese important events, Marine CorpsAir Station Iwakuni has put together avariety of venues to commemorate theoccasion.

Youths rewarded for sacrificesCPL. DAVE BONI

Combat CorrespondentChildren from little tykes to young

adults will be recognized for theirefforts in supporting the Marine Corpsmission with five days of eventsstarting April 5th.

“Last year we had events through-out the whole month, but this year wewanted to consolidate it into thespring break so the kids would bebusy,” said Sean KimHan, Marine

Corps Commu-nity Servicesyouth activitiessupervisor. Activitiesfilling the daysoff from schoolwill be forchildren of allages, saidKimHan. “There will besomething foreveryone.McGruff visits,sporting events,field trips; we aretrying to covereveryone’sinterests,” hesaid. The attentionto the kids is inpart of a militarywide effort torecognize thechildren ofservice membersand the sacrificesthey make. According toKimHan, it iseasily forgottenthat the parentsaren’t the onlyonesforfeitingprivileges

in support of our nation’s freedom.“Mothers and fathers are trying to

accomplish the mission, but their jobwould be so much harder if they didn’thave the support of their family.Children play vital roles in the militaryand they deserve to be recognized forit,” said KimHan.

April also serves as child abuseawareness month, a problem, whichfortunately has been decreasing in therecent years, said Mary Page, MCCSPersonal Services Intervention &Treatment Branch supervisingpsychologist.

“In the past five years, child abusehas gone down in the Marine Corps,”said Page. “Iwakuni has had less childabuse cases this fiscal year than lastyear. Overseas screening has prob-ably contributed to the low numbers.”

Morgan Young, 8, sings ABBA's 1976 classic "Danc-ing Queen" at the Karaoke area in the Mac Dome.

Photos by Lance Cpl. Ruben D. Calderon

Families enjoy Saturday at the Mac Dome with food, drinks, music,moon bouncers and prizes. All of the activities were in the name ofNational Child Abuse Prevention Month and the Month of the MilitaryChild.

The explanations for child abusevary, but Page said the most commonare a lack of knowledge of childdevelopment and appropriate disci-pline, having been abused as a childor poor impulse control.

“Our New Parent Support Programoffers many classes and service toparents with children under 6 yearsold,” she said. “The stress of militarylife, deployments and readinesscertainly put a strain on parents leftalone with young children.”

KimHan added, “Keeping childrensafe and healthy is not a monthly job.We need to continue to nurture anddevelop our children every daythroughout the year. Be sensitive totheir needs, being a kid isn’t easysometimes.”

status, Pachuta said.He said the new citizenship ap-

plication rules cover active dutyservice members and NationalGuard and Reserve personnel whoare classified as members of the Se-lected Reserve of the Ready Reserve.

Service members who want tobecome naturalized U.S. citizensmust apply for it, the colonel pointedout. Army and Air Force membersseeking to become naturalized U.S.citizens under the expedited pro-cess can contact their military per-sonnel offices, Pachuta noted,while Navy and Marine Corps mem-bers can contact their legal assis-tance offices for help.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immi-gration Services Web site,www.uscis.gov, provides forms, in-structions and helpful informationabout the naturalization process.

FEATURE PAGE 5TORII TELLER, APRIL 2, 2004

YECHON AIR FORCE BASE, Republic of Korea —The sound of laughter permeates the frigid, Koreannight as Marines gather around kerosene heaters forconversation and games. All is quiet in tent city, thebilleting site for Exercise Foal Eagle, until the lightbulbs flicker out. The darkness is momentary, butone particular group of Marines comes immediatelyto the forefront of everyone’s mind – utilitiesplatoon.

“Those are the times when everyone notices us,”cracked Staff Sgt. Henry Usury, Marine WingSupport Squadron 171 utilities platoon electricianchief. “It’s easy to take things like water or electric-ity for granted.”

The utilities Marines work around the clock andbehind the scenes to provide electricity, fuel andwater to the base camp. Their labor is crucial to theaviation ground support MWSS-171 provides toMarine Aircraft Group 12 and Marine Air ControlSquadron 18 units in order to facilitate combinedfixed wing operations from a forward operating base.

The 23-man platoon’s accomplishments duringthe first week of the Foal Eagle deployment toYechon have been impressive to say the least. Twofield showers and a shaving tent provide 10,000gallons of water daily. More than two miles of wiringfacilitate mobile electric power to multiple sites.Environmental control units give heat to keyfacilities, and a hundred other requirements occupyevery minute of the day.

“The work is nonstop,” said 1st Lt. Taylor H.

Utilities platoon powers upLANCE CPL. DAVID REVERE

Combat CorrespondentBuff, MWSS-171 utilities platoon com-mander. “Twenty-four hours a day, sevendays a week, Marines are on duty, checkinggenerators and equipment and doingpreventative maintenance.”

Besides the daunting task of providingfacilities to a base camp with a population of734, the Marines overcame obstacles arisingdue to cold weather and harsh conditions.

“We had to adjust to how the sites werearranged,” said Buff. “Snow and mudaffected the stability of the soil. We had torelocate generators and find alternate waysto establish the power grid in order toaccommodate the changes that had to bemade.”

“It’s a great opportunity for Marineshere to grow and gain experience,” saidGunnery Sgt. Paul D. Wood, MWSS-171utilities chief. “The Marines have theopportunity to exercise their own creativity.They’ve come out like a ball of fire settingeverything up.”

The Marines have more than theirmotivation to fire up the night. M80 waterheaters and M17 Senators provide hotshowers for service members every morningand evening.

Behind the shower tent and out of viewfrom everyone enjoying the luxury, MWSS-171hygiene equipment operator Lance Cpl. Jose Perezstands by his equipment. He’s out at 5 a.m., takinghis turn to set up and maintain the gear.

“It’s a nonstop job,” the water dog affirms.

“While other people are in the hooch relaxing, we’vegot to keep the stuff clean.”

His breath visibly invades the crimson morningas he considers the feeling. “We’re the heart of thesquadron.”

Lance Cpl. David P. Revere

Upkeep on the M80 water heater is continuous forLance Cpl. Jose Perez, Marine Wing Support Squad-ron 171 hygiene equipment operator.

YECHON AIR FORCE BASE,Republic of Korea — Spin, slide andsplatter – so passes another day forMotor Transport Marines at theYechon Republic of Korea Air ForceBase. Marine Wing Support Squadron171 Motor T has been deployed sinceFebruary 27 in preparation for thisyear’s Exercise Foal Eagle. Thecompany plays a crucial role in thesquadron’s mission to provideaviation ground support to MarineAircraft Group 12 and Marine AirControl Squadron 18 units in order tofacilitate combined fixed wingoperations from a forward operatingbase.

“Our main mission is to transport -whether we’re on the runway or on aconvoy, or just standing by,” saidStaff Sgt. Michael Banting, motortransport maintenance chief. “So farwe’ve been on convoys to pick upsupplies from all over.”

The Marines have dealt withadverse condition, since they arrived.With temperatures sometimes dippinginto negative numbers and heavysnowfall icing roads and engines, the

Motor Transport faces challengeLANCE CPL. DAVID REVERE

Combat Correspondent

obstacles have been formidable.“It’s been challenging,” said Cpl.

Bruce L. Quintin, wrecker driver. “Onenight, going down to Pusan to pick upsupplies, the ice was six inches thick.Everyone was sliding - you had tothink for the other drivers.”

Like the powerful, all-terrainvehicles they drive, the operatorsmust be ready for any condition.

“You have to have full awarenessat all times,” Quintin said. “Emer-gency situations can appear out ofnowhere.”

In addition to the transportation ofsupplies, the mechanics repaired andmaintained all the vehicles operatedduring the exercise.

“Whatever needs to get fixed, wefix,” said Banting. “We’re looking

Lance Cpl. David P. Revere

Cpl. Andrew Gleason, motor transport mechanic, cleans mud froman engine while Cpl. Bruce Quintin, wrecker driver, looks on duringExercise Foal Eagle at Yeachon Air Force Base, Republic of Korea.

forward to getting some work done onthese vehicles.”

As temperatures have warmed,conditions have transformed from iceto mud.

“It makes it harder to see where theproblem is on the vehicles we’reworking on,” said Banting. “Youmight have a problem seeing ifsomething’s leaking or if it’s just mud.”

Conditions may slow them down,but these grease dogs don’t stop untilthe mission is accomplished.

“The work out here is nonstop,”said Banting. “If something needs tobe fixed, we work on it until it’s done.We don’t have any other obligationsout here.”

“What we’re doing here plays anessential role in training Marines tosupport a squadron during a time ofwar,” Quintin added. “Every day thatgoes by there is a new learningexperience.”

The work is hard and dirty, butthese leathernecks wouldn’t have itany other way.

“It’s fun being out here with thesefour-wheel drives,” said Banting.“They get a chance to get out andhave some fun – especially whenthey’re sliding around.”

PAGE 6 TORII TELLER

Fire rescue teams rush to the Monzen Housing after an earthquake caused a buildingto crumble. It was a simulation of a 6.0 earthquake.

Rescuers rush to take an injured man to safety after a simulated 6.0 earthquake demolished one of theMonzen Housing apartments. The simulation was part of the biannual Exercise Rolling Thunder.

Green smoke clouds the front of Building One as part of the biannualExercise Rolling Thunder. The "suspicious" truck parked in front of thebuilding was loaded with explosives.

A suspicious truck is parked in front of Building One with explosives on its camper.The blast leveled the building, during Exercise Rolling Thunder.

“Exercise! Exercise! Exercise!”Throughout March 25-26, Station

residents heard the alert messageperiodically. The message reminded allaboard Marine Corps Air StationIwakuni that Exercise Rolling Thunderwas in full-effect.

The biannual exercise is comprisedof various drills which were conductedthroughout the Station.

The first drill was a security breachat the main gate of the Station. Asupposed terrorist tried to enter theStation with a fake identification card.

The next drill took place in front ofBuilding One when a suspiciouslooking truck was parked in front.Somebody noticed the truck and thencalled the Provost Marshal’s Office.The truck was stocked with barrels fullof explosives in its camper. Thebuilding was immediately evacuated ofall personnel inside.

Thunder rolls through StationSTORY AND PHOTOS BY

LANCE CPL. RUBEN D. CALDERON

Combat Correspondent

Suddenly, without warning greensmoke emitted from the truck, mimick-ing a gas agent.

Within minutes, Provost Marshal’sOffice squad cars raced to the sceneand quickly set up a perimeter. Then,Explosives Ordnance Disposalpersonnel arrived on the scene anddisposed of all explosives.

Meanwhile, at the home of Col.Dave Darrah, Station commandingofficer, a hostage situation waserupting. The hostage was Darrah’swife, Kristi. A terrorist broke into thecommanding officer’s home and heldKristi at gunpoint.

Special Reaction Team, PMO and ahostage negotiator were posted next toDarrah’s home in a matter of minutes.

After unsuccessful negotiatingwith the terrorist, the S.R.T. unitpenetrated the house and sweptthrough to capture the terroristwithout putting Darrah in harm’s way.

There were many places aboardthe Station that reported suspiciouspackages and bomb threats were

FEATURE 2, 2004

Rescuers use a crane to mount the top of a Monzen Housing apartment and transport victims tosafety. The site was the basis of a 6.0 earthquake simulation.

Special Reaction Team members hold up a kidnapper after infiltrating a house and bringing him out.

Green smoke clouds the front of Building One as part of the biannualExercise Rolling Thunder. The "suspicious" truck parked in front of the

A suspicious truck is parked in front of Building One with explosives on its camper.The blast leveled the building, during Exercise Rolling Thunder.

Thunder rolls through StationSuddenly, without warning green

smoke emitted from the truck, mimick-

Within minutes, Provost Marshal’sOffice squad cars raced to the sceneand quickly set up a perimeter. Then,

erupting. The hostage was Darrah’swife, Kristi. A terrorist broke into thecommanding officer’s home and held

Special Reaction Team, PMO and ahostage negotiator were posted next toDarrah’s home in a matter of minutes.

without putting Darrah in harm’s way.

the Station that reported suspicious

called to the Hornet’s Nest andNorthside 7-day store.

The second day of the exercisewas to prepare the station for a naturaldisaster. A 6.0 earthquake rendered theFreedom Bridge usuable and causedone of the midrises on Monzen tocollapse. There weresimulation ofcasualties and deaths. Police and firecrew had to overcome the unusablebridge and had to go around theStation. Emergency personnel were alsotested on how fast and less problem-atic the natural disaster could behandled. Emergency personnelincluded the Station fire department,PMO, and personnel from the BranchMedical Clinic.

Exercise Rolling Thunder wascomprised of simulations of securitybreaches, bomb threats, hostagesituations, suspicious packages andcoordination with agencies outside ofthe gates. The drills conducted were asuccess, according exercises coordi-nators.

PAGE 8 FEATURETORII TELLER, APRIL 2, 2004

OUT THE GATEKamei Castle Festival

This festival will be held at KameiPark, near You Me Town Otake,Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visitorscan enjoy Japanese drum and danceperformances under the cherry blos-soms. Some booths are set up to sellsnacks. For more information, call57-7257.

Daimyo Costume ParadeThe Kintai Bridge Festival Com-

mittee is looking for Americans toparticipate in the time-honoredDaimyo Costume Parade. The eventis part of the 27th Annual Kintai BridgeFestival scheduled for April 29. Call

Note: Japanese who do notspeak English may answer thephone numbers provided.

Flower and Wine Festival 2004There will be a festival at Shunan

Sports Center, Saturday, 11 a.m. to5 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Samples of Tokuyama Kyoho Winewill be offered. They will also sellflowers and wine. Some events onthe stage and a flower contest arescheduled. The admission is free.Call 0834-22-8372 for details.

253-5551 for more information.

Cherry Blossom FestivalThis festival is scheduled Sunday,

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at NishigawaraRyokuchi Park in Hikari. There willbe a flea market and booths sellingsnacks. The festival will be post-poned to April 11 in case of rain. Call0833-72-1431 for details.

Flea MarketA flea market is scheduled ev-

ery Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.at Iwakuni Hotspring Gokyonoyu, inKawanishi area. Call 41-3004 formore information.

Passover is one of Judaism’s mostwell-known holidays since it has sucha close relation to Easter. (The LastSupper is believed to have been aPassover Seder meal.)

What few people realize is howthis celebration brings thousands ofyears of Jewish history into the livesof modern-day Jews, and it has doneso for centuries.

The story of Exodus and Moseswho lead the Jews out of Egypt tellsabout the Passover, the ten plaguesand flight from the pharaoh. But thisholiday is much more than a meal andthe telling of the story.

Passover begins with the cleaningof the home and removing all leavenproducts, also called chametz. Theremoval of leaven products ends witha hunt, similar to an Easter-egg hunt,where children go through the houseand try to find some pieces of breadand other grain products. Further-more, the entire home is cleaned andscrubbed before Passover begins.

The first night, (the first two nightsfor traditional Jews) is the Seder, aspecial meal that commemorates thefestival. Seder literally means “order”and there are 14 steps to the meal.These are outlined in a special bookcalled a Haggadah. The meal has a lotof ceremony and traditions, but it is arelaxing and fun time for all. In someways, it can be considered a “JewishThanksgiving.”

Passover is also a time of severaldiet restrictions, most notable is theabsence of any leaven products. Jewseat matzah, a flat cracker made fromjust flour and water and baked forexactly 18 minutes during the eightdays of Passover. The reason is whenthe Jews left Egypt, they left in such ahurry, they didn’t have time for theirbread to rise. Other traditional foodsinclude bitter herbs to remind them of

Passover: a celebration of history, traditionSTORY AND PHOTOS BY

GUNNERY SGT. M.A. ZEID

Combat Correspondent

During the Passover Seder, six symbolic foods are placed on a Seder plate and set in the center of thetable. Also shown are a bowl for charoses, Elijah’s cup and a plate for matzah.

Station residents share the Seder, a special meal that commemo-rates the first night of Passover as outlined in the Haggadah.

the bitterness of slavery, roasted lambor chicken to symbolize the blood ofthe lambs that stained the gates of theJews homes so the Angel of Deathwould pass over their homes, and amixture of nuts and apple are eaten tosymbolize the mortar used to build thepyramids.

During the Seder, the story ofExodus is retold and several blessingsare recited. Everyone at the mealparticipates in the retelling of the story.One of the most significant parts is theasking of the Four Questions whichexplain how Passover is different fromother days of the year.

At the beginning of the meal, apiece of matzah is broken in half. Onepart is eaten and the other is kept andhidden sometime during the meal. Atthe end of the meal, the children huntfor the matzah. Each family has itsown traditions such as trying to steal

it beforehand or ransoming it back tothe parents. This is just an example ofhow the holiday can be fun andeducational as it teaches children thehistory and traditions of Judaism.

Many synagogues have commu-nity Seders which are open to all

members and their guests. TheIwakuni Jewish Community will holdits community Seder on Friday, April9th at the Station Chapel. For moreinformation about the communitySeder, please contact the StationChapel at 253-5218.

2005, $2,700. Call 253-6276or 090-1354-2364.

Honda Ascot, 1990, powersun roof, radio, cassette,4 door, P/W, comfortable,JCI until Sep. 2005, $1,350obo. Call Jim Sweeney at253-3501 dwh or 31-8451awh.

Nissan Vanette, 1991, 8passenger, ski and canoerack, good for camping andoutdoor activities, JCI un-til Sep. 2005, $995 obo.Call Jim Sweeney at 253-3501 dwh or 31-8451 awh.

Mazda MPV, 1993, excel-lent condition, cold A/C,auto transmission, P/S, P/L, auto climate controlfront and rear, P/W, tintedwindow, AM/FM cas-sette player, 3 L gas V-6

Mazda Capella, 1994, newtires, needs body work,no other repairs needed,JCI until Sept. 2004, $200obo. Call Rose at 253-6465dwh or 253-2168 awh.

Toyota Corolla, 1992, die-sel engine, 1,500 cc, JCIuntil July 2004, $300 obo.Call A.S. Ramos at 253-4108 dwh or 253-2022 awhor 090-7595-9324.

Honda Civic, 1995, 4-door-sedan, black, A/C, P/W,CD player, JCI until Feb.2005, $1,700 obo. Call 253-5260 dwh or 253-2010 awh.

Mazda MPV, 1993, excel-lent condition, highly re-liable, cold A/C, autotransmission, P/S, P/L,

TORII TELLER CLASSIFIED ADSTo submit your ads or announcements: Torii Telleraccepts ads/announcements from nonprofit organizationsand groups only. Briefs run on space-available and time-

priority basis. Deadline for briefs is noon Thursday. ToriiTeller reserves the right to edit to fit space. Stop byBuilding 1, Room 216 to fill out a form.

auto climate control frontand rear, P/W, tinted win-dow, AM/FM cassetteplayer, 3 L gas V-6 engine,green and gold trim, veryneat inside and out, JCIuntil Aug. 2004, $1,750.Call 253-2650.

Isuzu, MU, 1993, 3 door,2,800 cc diesel turbo, 26MPG (AVG), automatictransmission, new tires,new brakes, new battery,Kenwood stereo amplifier,tape deck, 6 CD changer,PIAA hi/lo beam foglamps, JCI until March2005, make an offer. CallJim Davis at 253-3705dwh or 0834-88-2551 awh.

Toyota Hilux Surf, 1990,4x4, CD/MP 3 player, P/W,PDL, great condition, runsperfect, JCI until Nov.

AUTOMOBILES

CLASSIFIED PAGE 9TORII TELLER, APRIL 2, 2004

FRIDAY

11 a.m./5 p.m. Air Bud (PG)2 p.m./8 p.m. S.W.A.T. (PG-13)

11 p.m./5 a.m. Bless The Child (R)2 a.m. Punch Drunk Love (R)

SATURDAY

11 a.m./5 p.m. Second Hand Lions (PG) 2 p.m./8 p.m. Grind (PG-13)

11 p.m./5 a.m. Once Upon A Time In Mexico(R)

2 a.m. Off-Key(R)

SUNDAY11 a.m./5 p.m. Just Married (PG-13)2 p.m./8 p.m. In The Heat Of The Night (PG)

11 p.m./5 a.m. Mystic Pizza (R)2 a.m. 8 Mile (R)

MONDAY11 a.m./5 p.m. Black Cauldron (PG)2 p.m./8 p.m. Seabiscuit (PG-13)

11 p.m./5 a.m. Courage Under Fire (R)2 a.m. Lost Souls (R)

TUESDAY11 a.m./5 p.m. The Animal (PG-13)

2 p.m./8 p.m. Sure Thing (PG-13)11 p.m./5 a.m. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (R)

2 a.m. Wild Things (R)

WEDNESDAY11 a.m./5 p.m. Mr. Bones (PG)2 p.m./8 p.m. The Majestic (PG)

11 p.m./5 a.m. Bad Boys 2 (R)2 a.m. The Life Of David Gale (R)

THURSDAY11 a.m./5 p.m. Spider Man (PG-13)2 p.m./8 p.m. Kate And Leopold (PG)

11 p.m./5 a.m. Magnum Force (R)2 a.m. Terminator 3 (R)

MOVIE SCHEDULESAKURA THEATER

WIN A DATE WITH TAD

HAMILTONWhen a young actor, Tad Hamilton

agrees to participate in a “win a date”contest, his world is turned upside-downwhen he finds himself falling in love withthe winner, Rosalie. Showing up in herhometown to profess his love, Tad un-wittingly inspires Rosalie’s best friendto also admit his love for her. (95 min-utes)

STARSKY & HUTCHThis is the tale of two police detec-

tive partners, Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson,and Dave Starsky, who always get thetoughest cases from their boss rely onomniscient street informer Huggy Bearand race to the scene of the crimes intheir souped-up 1974 Ford Torino hotrod which involved a former collegecampus drug dealer who went on to be-come a white collar criminal. (100 min-utes)

CATCH THAT KIDMaddy and her father have shared a

love for mountain climbing. Their hobby,however, has a disastrous effect whenan accident on Mount Everest injureshis spine, paralyzing him forever unlesshe gets a very expensive operation.Maddy decides to recruit two of herfriends to help her break into the super-high-tech bank. (102 minutes)

FRIDAY12 p.m. Haunted Mansion (PG)3 p.m. Win A Date With Tad Hamilton (PG-13)7 p.m. Starsky & Hutch (PG-13)

10 p.m. Torque (PG-13)

SATURDAY1 p.m. Thomas And The Magic Railroad (G)4 p.m. Catch That Kid (PG)7 p.m. Starsky & Hutch (PG-13)

10 p.m. The Big Bounce (PG-13)

SUNDAY4 p.m. Catch That Kid (PG)7 p.m. Starsky & Hutch (PG-13)

MONDAY1 p.m. Brother Bear (G)7 p.m. You Got Served (PG-13)

TUESDAY7 p.m. Cold Mountain (R)

WEDNESDAY12 p.m. Adventures Of Rocky And Bullwinkle

(PG)7 p.m. You Got Served (PG-13)

THURSDAY7 p.m. Win A Date With Tad Hamilton (PG-13)

This schedule is submitted by the Sakura Theater and is subject to change. For show times, call the Sakura Theater at 253-5291.

OTHER ITEMS

JOB OPENINGS

engine, green and goldtrim, JCI until Aug. 2004,$1,550. Call 253-2650

Misc., Braco Pack-n-play,$15; infant bike seat, $10.Call Rose at 253-6465 dwhor 253-2168 awh.

Misc., GT steel belted ra-dials 145 SR 10, $15; skidguard radials 145 R12, $15;Japanese kimono dollwith cases, kokeshi dolls,flower vases, helmets,masks, nicknacks and manymore. Call A.S. Ramos at253-4108 dwh or 253-2022awh or 090-7595-9324.

Misc., baby crib with mat-tress, $60; portable playpen, $30. Call 21-7876 af-ter 5:30 p.m.

CHRO (253-6828)Clinic:–Social WorkerMCCS:–Office Automation As-sistant

DECA:–Materials Handler (Inter-mittent)

–Secretary (OA)BPO:–Management and Pro-gram Analysis Officer

–Management and Pro-gram Analysis

MCCS (253-3030)(The following jobs areopen at MCCS Personnel)MCCS Job Listing:–Head of Retail–Procurement Assistant,

civilian only–Leisure Travel Assis-

tant, civilian only–Veterinary Clerk–Sup. Vending Specialist,

civilian only–Food Service Worker,

civilian only–Program Assistant, civil-

ian only

–Recreation Specialist,civilian only

–Recreation Attendant,civilian only

–Operations Assistant,civilian only

–Recreation Assistant,civilian only

–Outdoor RecreationManager

–Marketing ResearchSpecialist

–Support Director,–Office Automation Clerk–Broadcast SupervisorContinuously Open JobsRetail Branch:–Senior Sales Associate–Retail Operations Assis-

tant–Sales Clerk–Store Worker–Laborer–Food Service WorkerFood & Hospitality:–Club Operations Assis-

tant–ID Checker–Waiter/Waitress–Food Service WorkerGo to http://www.mccsiwakuni.com for a com-plete job listing.

PAGE 10 COMMUNITY BRIEFS

Test ScheduleTuesdays/Fridays - CLEP,DSSTApril 7 - ACTApril 8 - SATApril 14 - EDPTApril 15 - AFCTApril 28 - DLPTApril 29 - DLAB

For more information, call253-3855.

CHRO Trainingn Family Member Local Em-ployment Orientation:Wednesday, 8-9 a.m.n RESUMIX: Wednesday,9:30-10:30 a.m.n Outbound Family MemberPriority Placement ProgramBrief: Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 12p.m.

Roman CatholicSaturday 4:30 p.m. Confession

5:30 p.m. MassSunday 9:30 a.m. Mass

10:45 a.m. CCD

ProtestantSaturday 9:30 a.m. Seventh Day Adventist

(second and fourth)Sunday 8 a.m. Traditional

9:30 a.m. Sunday School11 a.m. Contemporary12:30 p.m. Jesus Christ Apostolic

ServiceThursday 6:30 p.m. Jesus Christ Apostolic

Bible Study

Church of ChristSunday 9:30 a.m. Bible Study

10:30 a.m. Church of ChristWednesday 7 p.m. Bible Study

Latter Day SaintsSunday 1 p.m. Priesthood/RS Meeting

2 p.m. Sunday School3 p.m. Sacrament

MuslimFriday Noon Prayer

JewishFriday 6 p.m. Shabbat

Liturgical1st Sunday 7 p.m. Service

For information regarding divine services,religious education or any other Command ReligiousProgram/Chapel activity, call the Station Chapel at253-5218.

CHAPEL SERVICES

TORII TELLER, APRIL 2, 2004

COMMUNITY BRIEFSEDUCATION

Paving Map Set To Ease TrafficContractors will be working in the Bachelor Officer Quarters and Tempo-

rary Lodging Facility areas. Paving work will start Monday. Utilize caution inthis area. For more information, contact the Contracts Office at 253-5084.

MCCS

COMMUNITY

CHRO

n New Employees Orienta-tion: April 14-15, 8 a.m. to 4:30p.m.n Prevention of Sexual Ha-rassment Training: April 26-28,8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more in-formation and nomination, call253-6828 or send e-mail toshiomuram.jp.@iwakuni.usmc.mil. Classes will be held at Build-ing one, Room 102, CHRO train-ing room.

Career Resource Manage-ment Center (253-6439)n Employment OverviewWorkshop: Tuesday, 9-10:30a.m.n Basic Resume Writing:Thursday, 1-3 p.m.n Monthly Transition Assis-tance Seminar: April 12-16, 8a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Advanced sigh-up required.

Club Iwakuni (253-3119)n Chef’s Seafood Classics:Every Friday, 5-9 p.m. in all din-ing rooms. Enjoy a variety ofChef’s classic seafood recipes,from whole lobster to fresh wa-ter selections. Most entreesrange from $10 to $20. Achildren’s menu is also avail-able.

IT&T (253-4377)n Space World: April 10. Thepark features 29 attractions foradults and small children.

Single Marine Program (253-4656)n Chess Tournament, Sun-day, 6 p.m. Prizes for first, sec-ond and third place winners.n Hiroshima Carp Baseballversus Yokohama Bay Stars ,April 10, 10 a.m. Admissioncosts 2,000 yen. Bring extra yenfor snacks and souvenirs.n Tsuwano Archery Festival,April 11, 8 a.m. $20 transporta-tion fee. Bring extra yen for sou-venirs and food.

Survival Japanese LanguageClassMonday through April 9, 11:40a.m. to 12:40 p.m. Learn basicJapanese and key phrases forshopping, ordering food and

asking for directions. Call 253-6165 to sign-up.

Cultural NewsletterWant updated news on localevents and the Japanese cul-ture? Visit the Community Ser-vices Building, Room 101 toregister your e-mail address.

Book FairMatthew C. Perry school ishaving their spring Book FairApril 19-23, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.on the school’s stage. We willalso be open April 21, 6-8 p.m.

Crime StoppersIf you have any informationpertaining to a crime please call“Crime Stoppers” at 253-3333.Crime Stoppers is an answer-ing service designed for anony-mous callers to give informationthat would assist the ProvostMarshal’s Office in solving andpreventing crime.

Request For DonationsOrganizations can request fordonations from the Thrift Store.Call Mr. Dutnas at 253-2910 formore information.

Thrift StoreThe Thrift Store is open Mon-days from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,Wednesdays from 5-8 p.m. andthe last Saturday of each monthfrom 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Build-

ing 1117, located next to theChapel. Volunteers and dona-tions are always welcome. Call253-4721 for more information.

Iwakuni ToastmastersToastmasters (TM) Interna-tional provides an excellent op-portunity to learn and practiceproper public speaking and in-valuable leadership skills. TheTM experience also looks verygood on your resume. Theclass meets every 2nd Thurs-day evening and 4th Friday atlunch. Japanese with interme-diate or better English skills arewelcome. Call Nancy Regan at253-4557 or Sallie Donahue at253-5328 for more information.

Hanami/Easter Egg HuntJapanese and American Societysponsors this event April 11 at3 p.m. around Kintai area. Ad-mission is required. Call the JASoffice at 253-4771 to register oremail jasiwakuni@mx5.tiki.ne.jp.

The Japanese American So-cietyThis society is dedicated tobringing Japanese and Ameri-cans together through culturaland language exchange,friendship and fun. We offermonthly get-together, cookingclasses and various culturalevents throughout the year.Call 253-4771 or stop by theJAS office in Building 261 fordetails.

THE MAJORS MASTER TOURNAMENTApril 11, 7-9 a.m. Station residents may sign-up before April 11 for

$10. Pick your professional partner from the final round of the Mas-ters. Add your net score to your partner’s final round gross score foryour team score, which will determine the winners. Golfers can enterboth gross and net flights but must make their own tee time. Call 253-3402 for more information.

MONTH OF THE MILITARY CHILD TRACK & FIELDApril 10, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Northside track, across the street

from the Kids’ Fest. Sign-up before Saturday at the Youth Sports Of-fice in IronWorks Gym. Food and drinks will be provided. Childrencompete for prizes in the following events:O Shot put and javelin competition (for 7 to 15-year-olds)O Softball throw and standing long jump (for 5 to 9-year-olds)

O 1,600-meter run, running long jump, discus throw and 400-meterdash (for 10 to 15-year olds)O 200-meter dash (for 7 to 9-year-olds)O 800-meter run (for 10 to 12-year-olds)Children can compete in a maximum of three events.

PERSONAL TRAINING SERVICESOne-on-one personal training, including one free comprehensive fit-

ness assessment, costs $25 per session or $20 per session for a pack-age of five or more. Small group personal training, which also includesone free comprehensive fitness assessment, costs $15 per person persession. Fitness assessments cost $15 per assessment and include adetailed printout of blood pressure, weight, measurements, body fat,aerobic fitness testing, strength testing, and flexibility testing using theMicrofit System. Call 253-5051 for details.

IWAKUNI SPORTS SCENE

SPORTS PAGE 11TORII TELLER, APRIL 2, 2004

Fitness junkies can now get theirfix at the IronWorks Gym with the newaerobics class, “Power Pump.”

The aerobics class is designed towork various muscle groups in thebody in a healthy and fun way,according to Erica Coggins, Iron-Works Gym aerobics instructor.

“It’s a challenging class, but ittargets every part of the body,” shesaid.

Armed with a speaker and amicrophone, the part-time personal trainer andaerobics instructor leads the exciting group of fellowfitness buffs through fat-burning and sweat induc-ing fun.

Coggins caters the class with music that matchesrhythms to the tempo of the workouts.

The class is comprised of 12 workouts. Variouspositions and equipment are included in the syllabusof the course.

Having been a fitness trainer for over 5 years,Coggins has a profound understanding of what“fitness” really means.

“I’ve been doing this since I was 18 years old.

Aerobics class flexes fun, healthSTORY AND PHOTOS BY

LANCE CPL. RUBEN D. CALDERON

Combat Correspondent

When I first came here to Iwakuni, which was 9months ago, I continued to do it,” said Coggins.

Rhiannon Bramer, 22, is one of the manypeople that enjoyed the workout brought forth byCoggins. “It’s a really good class. I’ve takenvarious fitness classes back in the states, and Ican honestly say that this is just as good as anyof them,” she said.

After the workout was done, Ayumi Yanagi,Marine Corps Community Services purchasingagent, dreaded the morning after. “I’m going towake up so sore! But it’s worth it. I feel reallygood about myself, doing this.”

“It’s an enthusiasticclass. It’s a variety ofdifferent workouts. It’s sofun, too. People should reallycome and take advantage of,not only the class but all theinstructors,” said Coggins.“Especially now thatsummertime is comingaround. I know that a lot ofpeople are going to want toget into their bathing suits.Here it is for all of them:something that will get themin good shape.”

For more information on“Power Pump” or any otheraerobics class, contact theIronWorks Gym at 253-6578.

Ayumi Yanagi, Marine Corps Community Ser-vices purchasing agent, dreads the morning af-ter her aerobics class. She said she will besore from the workout.

Aerobics buffs crunch it out with modified sit-ups at the “Power Pump” aerobics class. The modified sit-ups is one of 12 workouts that makes up the class.

The Power Plus class is comprised of many workouts that relyon various tools.

PAGE 12 SPORTSTORII TELLER, APRIL 2, 2004

Station residents and members ofthe Iwakuni community receivedworld-class karate instruction andparticipated in the first Japanese/American Friendship Martial Artstournament at the IronWorks GymFriday and Saturday.

Martial Arts Hall of Fame memberand former Marine, Howard Jacksonled a seminar on “closing the gap”with opponents, which is when afighter moves toward an opponentbefore attempting to strike and score apoint in semi-contact competitionkarate.

“This is awesome,” said GailBenton, a black-belt karate instructor,who traveled to the seminar with herfamily’s school of karate from Sasebo,Japan. “This is a once in a lifetimething right here. They’re excited tomeet Mr. Jackson,” Benton said of herstudents, “and we’re having a greattime.”

Step by step, Jackson showedparticipants keys to success incompetition karate. He said winningtournaments is not about fancy kicksbut rather about perfecting the basics.

“The basics are the foundation,”Jackson stressed to the participants,some dressed in white karate uniformsothers in camouflage utilities. “You

IronWorks hosts seminar, tourneyKarate world champion, former Marine shares knowledge, techniques

STORY AND PHOTOS BY

CPL. ROBER T W. WYNKOOP

Combat Correspondent

Martial arts world champion, Howard Jackson leads participants fromthe Station and Sasebo Naval Base in the proper technique of 'closingthe gap' with an opponent during a martial arts seminar held at Iron-Works Gym, March 26.

have to learn how to set youropponent up so you can scoreyour point.”

Saturday, Benton’s studentsalong with Station residents andJapanese locals participated in thefirst ever Friendship Martial ArtsTournament. Jackson attended theevent as a special guest and tooktime to help judge the event.

Fighters scored two points bylanding a kick to the opponent’shead and one point for hitting themidsection. Fighters were allowedto use punches, however onlykicks were scored and participantswore padded sparring gear toprevent injuries.

The tournament format wassingle elimination with divisionsorganized by age. At the end ofeach bout, fighters’ height andweight were measured. The smallerfighter received additional points tohelp keep the competition closer.

Friendship was an addedreward for the participants,according to Billie Scott, SemperFithealth promotions director, whoannounced the opening ceremo-nies.

Following the tournament, anawards ceremony was held andlunch was served in the IronWorks’atrium.

Jackson, who served in theCorps from 1970-1973, is a world

champion fighter inkarate andkickboxing andcurrently works asa personal protec-tion officer ofkarate championand actor ChuckNorris -star of the hittelevision show,“Walker: TexasRanger.”

While working for

Norris, Jackson read a piece ofNorris’s fan mail which inspired him totravel to Japan and give the seminar.

“I ran across a letter asking Mr.Norris to come to Japan, unfortunately

his schedule couldn’t allow it, butbeing a former Marine, I decided thatthis was something I definitely wantedto do,” said the Detroit native. “Givingback to the Marines like this is like I’mcoming home and I hope to do it moreoften.”

Although Jackson fought profes-sionally for more than a decade, hisbiggest match-up came long after his1983 retirement.

Jackson began a battle with acuteMyeloid Leukemia, February 13, 2002,which required him to receive strongdoses of chemotherapy before hiscancer went into complete remissionmore than a year later.

Because of his fight for life,Jackson decided helping othersshould be his top priority. That is whyhe made his Iwakuni journey, he said.

“Everyone was motivated, and I’mglad they’re here,” said Jackson. “I’mvery impressed with their abilities andhope I can do this again.”

Howard Jackson, seminar instructor and mar-tial arts world champion, demonstrates the'closing the gap' technique on Sasebo martialarts instructor, Tony Benton.

Mike Braun (right), a Sasebo Naval Base Sailor whohas taken karate for five months, lands a kick to oppo-nent Kouji Kimura's chest during the first ever Japa-nese/American Friendship Martial Arts Tournamentheld in the IronWorks Gym, Saturday.