Commander of US Air Force in Okinawa reveals that parachute practice drops will be carried out “once a month”. (28ap24)

Splendor of Okinawa: Queen’s Wreath, roadside Uruma, 26ap24


Regional municipalities and the Prefecture have requested that no further parachute jump practices be carried out at the US Military Kadena Air Force Base. In response, on 26 April, Brig. Gen. Nicholas Evans, Commander, 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan. Revealed that the exercises would continue, but noted, “For the present, we’ll only carry out the exercises once a month. The next one is scheduled for the end of May.”


The same day, Governor Denny Tamaki and the Kadena Town Assembly expressed absolute concern and protest over the normalization of the parachute drops.


During an interview within Kadena Base with media companies, Commander Evans responded with the  explanation that the exercises would continue within his base, until repairs at the Iejima Auxiliary Airfield were completed. However, the commander avoided statements about the state of the Iejima Base repairs.


Infantry at Kadena Air Base have already received training in parachute drops, carried out in the US and elsewhere. So,  on the topic of carrying out the exercises outside the prefecture or even overseas, the commander said, “We’ll consider it.” However, since Kadena had certain duties, he couldn’t let all his personnel do the exercises outside the prefecture.


Governor Denny Tamaki held his scheduled press conference on the morning of 26 April. He expressed his intention to protest and make requests as governor to both the US and Japanese Governments in the first half of May over the 5 months of continuous forced exercises.


The same evening, on the commander’s statement, the governor noted, “I’m directing that the statement be immediately confirmed.” Regarding his requests to the US and Japanese Governments, the governor added, “If they’re still going to conduct these exercises at the end of May as well, I’ll include a request for canceling them, too!”


At the Tri-Municipality Alliance Conference, assembled by Okinawa City, Kadena Town, and Chatan Town, Okinawa City’s Assembly Speaker Sachio Kuwae pleaded,  “Isn’t it improper to announce this to the general public before telling the regional municipalities? I’d rather they planned for a mutual understanding with our regional municipalities first.” He expressed his concern, noting, “As the Tri-municipality Alliance, we have to consider our response going forward.”


On 26 April, the Kadena City Assembly, with unanimous support from all in the alliance, passed the Document of Opinion to Rigorously Protest the US Military’s Parachute Drop Exercises. Special Response Committee Chief Satoshi Touyama stated. “It’s the regularity of the exercises that concerns me. We’ve taken the requested action as a committee representing the people. But, the concerns have become clear.


In 1996, the Japan-US Special Action Committee (SACO) agreed that parachute drops would be carried out at the Iejima Auxiliary Airfield. However, in 2007, an addendum was included in the agreement, making it possible to use Kadena Base for the jumps, but only in extraordinary cases. However, for 5 months, from December last year until now, without any claim of an extraordinary case, the jumps have been held continuously. So, the municipalities and the Prefecture are requesting their cancellation.


Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published Saturday 27April 2024 at 14:00.   https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/37ef547379a4d658079524b0124044e2ad1ba207

Denny in the News: news about Governor Denny Tamaki.


Denny Tamaki is the governor of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. Although Okinawa is important as an international tourist destination and a key element in strategic US Military Forces, its governor receives very little coverage in the Japanese press and almost none in the English language media. 


This blog hopes to  translate one news article a day on the governor.  It is unsponsored and unauthorized. The translator simply hopes to improve his skills and perhaps give the governor an English speaking audience. 


Any suggestion on improving my translation will be gratefully accepted. However, please leave political comments for another forum.


Where they occur, words and phrases in Ryukyuan (the Okinawan language) are rendered in italics and translated in parentheses. Names  whose readings are uncertain are rendered as Name (=Kanji?) as in Nagayuki (=長行?). Any corrections in such instances would be gratefully appreciated.

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