VOLUME 49 NUMBER 44 MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, JAPAN NOVEMBER 19, 2004

INSIDE

www.iwakuni.usmc.mil

IWAKUNI WEATHERTodayPartly CloudyHigh: 64

SaturdayPartly CloudyHigh: 64

SundayPartly CloudyHigh: 63

Warhawks return from ThailandNavy Strike Fighter Squadron 97 re-turns from Korat, Thailand after asuccessful combined exercise.

Page 3

Japanese bills get face changeNew banknotes honor famous Japa-nese citizens and use security devicesto inhibit counterfeiting . Page 8

The Department of Defense an-nounced, Nov. 2, the continued sus-pension of the “Any Service mem-ber” mail program. Accordingly, thegeneral public is urged not to sendunsolicited mail, care packages or do-nations to service members duringthe holiday season.

During this time of the year, thenumber of donation programs in-creases and causes mail from fami-lies and friends to be mixed with mailfrom unknown sources resulting indelivery delays.

DoD continues to emphasize thatnames and addresses of military ser-vice members must not be distributedby the media, Web sites, companies,nonprofit organizations, schools andindividuals for the purpose of col-lecting letters of support or dona-tions for mailing to service members.

Service members should receivemail only from those friends and fam-ily members to whom they person-ally gave their address.

Military addresses should not bepassed around by family membersfor use by donation programs. Un-known mailers could then obtain

DoD stresses troopsupport mail policy

DOD PRESS RELEASE

see DOD Page 5

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Militaryunits from the U.S. and Japanese Self De-fense Forces, including various units fromMarine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, con-ducted joint bilateral military exercises, No-vember 11, at locations throughout Japanas part of Exercise Keen Sword 2005.

The exercise, which began Nov. 11, isdesigned to further increase the defensivereadiness of Japanese and American forcesthrough training in air, ground, and seaoperations and to improve interoperabilitybetween the two countries’ forces. It in-cluded dissimilar aircraft training, noncom-batant evacuation operation, base securityand force protection, search and rescue,close air support, and tactical air drops byC-130 aircraft.

Approximately 400 U.S. Air Force mem-bers participated in the exercise that alsoincluded members from the Unites States Army, Navy, Ma-rines and a National Guard unit.

“The opportunity to work together with the Japanese onthis large of a scale only comes about every two years,” saidLt. Gen. Thomas C. Waskow, Commander, United States ForcesJapan. “We are excited for the opportunity to rigorously test

U.S. forces in Japangather for Keen SwordJAPAN JOINT INFORMATION BUREAU PRESS

RELEASE

what we have learned in the past against current missionrequirements, not only at a command level, but also with ourairmen, sailors, soldiers and Marines in a variety of scenarios.”

The exercise was conducted at U.S. and Japanese militaryinstallations throughout Japan and concluded today.

Master Sgt. Val Gempis

A C-130 “Hercules” aircraft from the 36th Airlift Squadron, YokotaAir Base, Japan, takes off for a cargo air drop mission during exer-cise Keen Sword 2005, Nov 11.

The holiday seasonis fast approaching alongwith all the gift-wrappingand tree decorating asso-ciated with it. But alongwith the flickering lightsand plastic SantaClaus’s, danger lurks forall unsuspecting Stationresidents.

Iwakuni officialswarn residents here tostay vigilant during theholidays, where, year af-ter year, someone fallsoff a ladder while hang-ing that last strand oflights.

“Holiday safety is really no differ-ent than any other time of the year ex-cept for the fact that you participate in

Officials warn residents to stay vigilant during holiday seasonCPL. DAVE BONI

Combat Correspondent

see HOLIDAY Page 4

activities you normally wouldn’t likehanging lights and decorations,” saidMark Parsons, Station Safety Center

safety and occupa-tional health spe-cialist. “People alsotend to travel moreduring the holidaysas well.” To combatsenseless casual-ties this holidayseason the Air Sta-tion is conducting amandatory safetystanddown. “There are fourmandatory safetystanddowns re-quired each year,”said Mr. RichardPerry, Safety Direc-tor. “Two of thosestanddowns are to

be conducted by the section or unit and

NEWS BRIEFSSENIOR CLASS YARD SALE

The Matthew C. Perry 2004-2005Senior Class will sponsor a yard sale Dec.4, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the triangle. Allprofits will support the yearly senior trip.Seniors are asking for community supportthrough the donating of items for the sale.Points of contact for donated items areany high school senior or their care-giver.Donations need to be made by Nov. 27.

TORII TELLER POSTPONED

There will be no Torii Teller, November26, due to Thanksgiving holiday. Thepaper will resume its normal schedule thefollowing week. We apologize for theinconvenience. For further information,contact the Public Affairs Office at 253-5551.

PARENTS NIGHT OUT

Studio 2B Girl Scouts will be offeringa baby sitting service, Nov. 26, in theBuilding 657 community room, from 6-10p.m. A small snack and craft will beoffered. CPR certified adults will bepresent. The money raised for Novemberand December will help to finance a tripto the West Pacific Girl Scouts WinterConference in Tokyo. Starting inDecember, the girls will be providing thisservice on the first and third Friday ofeach month. The fee is $3 per hour perchild. For reservations, call 253-2485 or253-2276.

PAGE 2 OPINIONTORII TELLER, NOVEMBER 19, 2004 NEWS PAGE 3TORII TELLER, NOVEMBER 19, 2004

Commanding Officer/Publisher

Col. Michael A. Dyer

Public Affairs OfficerCapt. Stewart T. Upton

Public Affairs ChiefMaster Sgt. Lesli J. Coakley

Press ChiefCpl. David Revere

Operations ChiefCpl. Dave Boni

Combat CorrespondentsLance Cpl. Lydia Davey

Lance Cpl. Cristin K. BartterPFC Lukas J. Blom

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 Defenseor the U.S. Marine Corps, and doesnot imply 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 one, Room 216, MCASIwakuni, Japan. Call 253-5551.

PSC 561 Box 1868FPO AP 96310-0029

Phone 253-5551Fax 253-5554

The Torii Teller wel-comes Letter to the Editorsubmissions. Letters mustinclude a full name andunit, if applicable. Anony-mous letters and commentswill not be published. Let-ters are the opinion of thewriter only. Submissionscan be edited for clarity andspace. Letters can bedropped off at the PublicAffairs Office or sent via e-mail to bonidw@iwakuni.usmc.mil or coakleylj@iwakuni.usmc.mil.

MARINE CORPS AIR STATIONCHERRY POINT, N.C. — In the skiesover the ominous hills of Korea,through Guam’s vast jungles, through-out the Pacific and stationed in theheart of Japan’s mainland, Marine Tac-tical Electronic Warfare Squadron 1safeguarded the world and kept Ma-rine commanders educated in the im-portance of electronic warfare.

The Banshees returned from anearly seven month deployment, Nov.1. The last of their EA-6B Prowlerslanded at Cherry Point, reuniting theMarines with their families, who haveseen them off in the skies for most ofthe last two years.

“In Japan, we demonstrated the Prowler’s uniquecapabilities,” said Lt. Col. Robert D. Loynd, command-ing officer, VMAQ-1. “Our presence revalidated thevalue of airborne electronic warfare in support of theIII Marine Expeditionary Force.”

The Banshees have performed their jobs in a widevariety of difficult circumstances and different cultures.They were based out of Turkey during OperationNorthern Watch, and supported Operation SouthernWatch from Saudi Arabia. In 2003, they found them-selves supporting ground forces in Operation IraqiFreedom.

“VMAQ-1 has been constantly deployed,” saidCapt. Jamie Conrad, electronic counter measure of-ficer. “We have worked well on an international scene.With members of America’s coalition, and more recentlywith the Japanese Air Force, and we have completedtraining missions, fulfilled training and proficiency re-quirements. In Japan, we were a forward American pres-

Banshees commemorateexperience in Japan

LANCE CPL. CULLEN J. T IERNAN

Combat Correspondent

ence keeping stability in the region.”The deployments have rekindled a new sense of

brotherhood at VMAQ-1. They have brought thesquadron together, dealing with the same challengesand hardships as well as enjoying the good times.

“The whole experience was really good for me,”said Lance Cpl. Brandon Haire, expeditor, VMAQ-1.“Learning about different cultures, hiking up moun-tains, exploring ancient Japanese temples, everythingwas just really interesting.”

The Banshees hadn’t been deployed to Japan forten years. They proudly returned to the Western Pa-cific and were able to experience a new theater of op-erations, as well as immerse themselves in a new andexciting culture.

“We want to thank our gracious Japanese hosts,”said Loynd. “We had an outstanding working rela-tionship within the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and Ma-

Navy Strike Fighter Squadron 97 andsupporting Marines returned, Nov. 9,from Korat, Thailand in conclusion ofthis year’s Thailand Incremental Train-ing Program.

The primary purpose of TITP was toprovide 1st Marine Aircraft Wing unitsthe opportunity to conduct combinedair-to-air and air-to-ground core compe-tency training with Royal Thai Air Forceunits.

“We’re there to do joint operationswith the Thai,” said Lt. Cmdr. AndrewMcFarlane, VFA-97 administrative of-ficer. “We do dissimilar aircraft combattraining. We have large-scale exerciseswith some aircraft simulating an enemy.”

The pilots valued the unique train-ing opportunity, learning new tech-niques and imparting some of their own.

“It was a great opportunity to train

Warhawks return from ThailandCPL. DAVID REVERE

Combat Correspondentagainst a dissimilar air-craft,” said Lt. KevinOvermann, VFA-97schedules officer.

The pilots flewsimulated sorties inlarge-scale combat ex-ercises with F/A-16sand F/A-5s from theRTAF.

“I think it wentvery well overall,”Overmann said. “It’sjust a great experienceto go and work withsomeone whose tech-niques are differentthan yours.”

Flying wasn’t theonly important aspectof the joint exercise.

Petty Officer 2ndClass Suchan Yi, religious program as-sistant, Marine Aircraft Group 12, said

many people benefited from the com-munity relations projects throughout

Cpl. David Revere

A Navy fighter pilot raises his hands clear of the controls of hisF/A-18 for a “hot break” check at the end of a simulated com-bat exercise with the Thai Air Force.

the deployment. “I think it’s the factthat we’re here thatmakes a difference,”Yi said. “Our pres-ence lets peopleknow we are here tohave friendship be-tween two coun-tries.” In a land wheremost are familiar withthe U.S. military onlythrough the news, op-portunities to visitvillages and teach En-glish at schools showthe service memberas a caring individual,according to Yi. “Overall, we’remaking a major im-

pact,” he said. “We are giving a differ-ent view of America.”

CHATTERBOX "What was your most memorable Thanksgiving?"

“I was eating with a girlfriend onThanksgiving when she gotarrested by the police.”

“The whole family got together forThanksgiving... it came out to 36people over for dinner and 26ended up spending the night.There were about 26 pies that day.”

“My cousin and I ran my truckinto a canal one Thanksgiving.”

Sgt. Tian L. JacksonMotor Transport OperatorMarine Wing Support Squadron171

Master Sgt. Benjamin F. SlaterFinance ChiefHeadquarters and HeadquartersSquadron

PFC Neil D. PetersonInventory ClerkHeadquarters and HeadquartersSquadron

Lance Cpl. Cullen J. Tiernan

The North Carolina Sun sets on an EA-6B Prowler for thefirst time in months after the long trip home.

see BANSHEES Page 5

On November 5, Studio 2B Girl Scouts hosted a fund-raiser, by providing a hat, glove and coat check for the229th Marine Corps Birthday Ball. We want to give a verybig thank you to everyone who donated money to us thatevening. Your kindness is greatly appreciated.

We would also like to give a most special thanks to Sgt.Maj. O’Donnell for his time and effort in helping us to raisethe money. Sergeant Major, what you did really meant a lotto us. Thank you very much; we’ve elected you as our“Honorary Troop Girl Scout!” The money that was sogenerously donated that evening is going toward ourwinter conference in Tokyo; thank you all for helping us getcloser to our goal.

To the five Studio 2B Girl Scouts who worked the hatand glove check, Jo Shulock, C.C. Dahl, Jay Ishimaru,

Girl scouts go above, beyond at birthday ballTONYA DAHL

Studio 2B Girl Scout troop leaderSpring Siaw and Stephanie Marks, we just want to say thatwe were very impressed with your manners, grace, andpositive attitudes; not to mention your poise and bearing inthe face of some of the end-of-ball “merriness.” You allpresented yourselves like outstanding young women andthe money raised definitely was a reflection on you and theimage you portrayed personally and as girl scouts. Wewere very proud to be associated with each and every oneof you and are honored to be your leaders. Way to gogirls.....you so totally rock!!

To the parents of these five girls: we know that you arealready so proud of your daughters and we’re sure youhear this often, however, we just wanted to thank you aswell and let you know that you have daughters who setthemselves above the rest with their maturity, uniquepersonalities, compassionate and caring attitudes, bearingand ladylike manners. Give yourselves a most well-deserved pat on the back—you done good!!

This message goes out from theMarines within Marine Aircraft Group12 to all the folks within Marine CorpsCommunity Services and the militarycommunity who made this year’sMarine Corps Ball an astonishing andmagnificent event. The time, money,patience and man hours put into thisyear’s Ball was clearly and completelyworth the effort of all those whocontributed.

We here in MAG-12 want to thankeach individual who participated foryour invaluable support ensuring thisyear’s Ball was a sensation. Your hardwork and commitment to the workforcewas directly responsible for this year’sceremony and it would be selfish notadmitting how memorable an eventthis Ball has been.

A service admirably accomplishedCOL. H OWARD F. B ARKER

MAG-12 commanding officerSGT. MAJ. ROBERT F. O’DONNELL

MAG-12 sergeant major

We thank all of you for yourunflagging efforts as you assisted inthe 2004 Iwakuni Ball. Even with thesoaring number of personnel whohad to participate and contribute, thecelebration went off without a hitchand we are appreciative of a task wellcompleted.

Nevertheless, there are thoseindividuals who shined in thespotlight. MAG-12 would like toextend kudos to Master Sgt. LloydWest, MCCS, and those Marinesassigned to him who took the time,two weeks to be exact, to employtheir hard labor setting up the interiorportion of the inside gym. In addition,special recognition and gratitudeshould be awarded to MasterGunnery Sgt. Jim Jackson, MCCSstaff noncommissioned officer incharge; Mr. Robert Johnston, MCCSChief of Semper Fit; John Pace,Special Events Manager; the Staff ofMCCS Productions and a splendid

thanks to Mr. Dale Smith, MCCSDirector. Mr. Smith’s extraordinaryleadership and MCCS staff unparal-leled expertise and motivation wasinfectious in enhancing the morale andspirits of all patrons who attended thisyear’s event.

Lastly, Sgt. Maj. Roland Daniel,Headquarters & HeadquartersSquadron Sergeant Major, methodi-cally planned, practiced and executedthe ceremony guaranteeing successthrough his extraordinary work ethicand keen insight. Sgt. Maj. Daniel,without a doubt, set the standard bycaptivating and pleasing the audiencefor his role of supervising the pageantand ceremonial segment of this year’sBall.

For all readers, MAG-12 wouldhope that each one of you would takethe time, if you have not done so, andsay thank you to those people whomade this year’s Ball a breathtakingevent.

PAGE 4 FEATURETORII TELLER, NOVEMBER 19, 2004 FEATURE PAGE 5TORII TELLER, NOVEMBER 19, 2004

DOD from Page 1

those addresses and mail harmful items to ser-vice members.

For these reasons, DoD continues to indefi-nitely suspend general donation programs fromunknown mailers.

Americans who don’t have loved ones de-ployed overseas, can still show support duringthe holidays by other means.

A list of these programs is available atwww.defendamerica.mil.

To guarantee mail arrives in time for end ofyear holidays, family members are encouragedto view the mailing guidelines at www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/bulletin/2004/pb22138.pdf.

Cultures of different generationsand languages work together towardone common goal with the newPreschool Partnership Program.

The program offers Marines andSailors a chance to get off base andinteract with Japanese children andteachers.

“It gives us a good chance tointeract with the community,” saidPFC. Doan T. La, Combat ServiceSupport Detachment 36, supply andadministration clerk. “The kids reallyappreciate what we do, plus it’s a lotof fun. We basically just play withthem the whole time.”

“Everyone enjoys the visits,” saidNoriko Yamada, chaplain officeadministration specialist and Japaneseliaison for the program. “The teachersand students love it every time wecome in.”

The program, which began inMarch, works two ways, said Yamada.While the Marines are teachingEnglish words and American culture tothe young students, the servicemembers get to experience a piece ofJapanese culture that most peopledon’t get a chance to see.

“You get to see how Japaneseclasses are set up and see howdifferent it is to what we are used to

Marines go to school for ‘child’s play’STORY AND PHOTOS BY

PFC LUKAS J. BLOM

Combat Correspondent

back home,” said La.The program currently has 16

schools requesting volunteers fromthe Station to come and interact withthe children at school. Out of the 16schools that have enrolled in theprogram, 11 are adopted by variousunits.

Among the adopted schools,Kinnan Hoikuen was taken under thewing of CSSD-36. They visited theschool, Nov. 9, for the first of their

bimonthly visits. Thefive Marines who madethe trip went intodifferent classroomsand taught basicEnglish words such ascolors and numbers.After learning someEnglish, the kidsinvited the Marines tohelp them makemasterpieces out ofPlay-Doh. “The kids learnedbasic words andphrases in English to

He wants you!… to volunteer.Rick A. Perry, Station safety director, is a

casual, soft-spoken, modest man who receivedthe Chaplain’s Volunteer of the Quarter award,Oct. 24, at his church for the services he hasdone for the local community.

For some families, spending time with lovedones involves a game or dinner and a movie, butfor the Perry family it is all about volunteering.

With his wife Amelia and four girls: Michelle,15, Elizabeth, 14, Kathleen, 12, and Nicole, 9,Perry wanted a way to combine time with hisfamily with time devoted to helping the churchand local community.

“Volunteering is a family activity for us,” saidPerry. “Whatever I did in the church I always didit with my children.”

Perry said he insists on being a role model forhis children and felt that being active in thecommunity and church would help him.

“I wanted to do something to give my kids agood role model, one that they could look up to,”said Perry. “If you want to show responsibility,it’s easy to sit down with your kids and tell themto go to school and be a good kid, but the kidsthat see their parents out there doing things,they become very proud.”

“He is a good role model for anybody,” saidChris Clark, a fellow Parish counsel member. “Ifyou are going to mold new Catholics and teachthem how to be giving and serving to the church,

Volunteer receives award for service to communityLANCE CPL. CRISTIN K. BARTTER

Combat Correspondent

Lance Cpl. Cristin K. Bartter

Rick A. Perry casually converses with studentsinterested in the Rite of Christian Initiation forAdults class. This is a time for people to come inand ask questions about the Catholic faith.

PFC Doan T. La, CSSD- 36 supply and adminis-tration clerk, takes time to sit and play withsome students.

Lance Cpl. Eric M. Koluch, CSSD-36 supply andadministration clerk, teaches Japanesepreschoolers basic English.

rine Aircraft Group 12. One of the highlights of thisdeployment was the way we were able to formulate acooperative relationship with the electronic warfareaspects of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force.Japanese Fleet Training Squadron, VC-91, cooperatedwith us on both a professional and a cultural level, andwe thank them for their hospitality and friendship.”

The Marines of VMAQ-1 have been working hardto perfect their important role as one of the six func-tions of Marine aviation. For the third year in a row,they have been recognized by the Marine Corps Avia-tion Association as the Marine Corps’ Electronic War-fare Squadron of the year.

“None of these honors could have been accom-plished without the tremendous skill and dedication toexcellence demonstrated by the Marines of Q-1,” said

BANSHEES from Page 3 Loynd. “Regardless of their job description, everyMarine in our squadron has performed as a leader intheir profession. I am distinctly proud of their accom-plishments.”

While working with the Japanese, VMAQ-1 fo-cused on reestablishing the Prowler in support of thePacific Command and the regional operation plans. Inaddition, they made clear to the MEF’s commander,the electronic order of battle managers.

“Japan gave the Banshees an outstanding oppor-tunity to exercise electronic warfare and surveillancetechniques,” said Loynd. “In defense of our vital as-sets and alliances overseas, we were able to demon-strate our unique capabilities. Showcasing, amongother things, our Tactical Electronic ReconnaissanceProcessing & Evaluation System, which is a key seg-ment of the Marine Air-Ground Intelligence System,and is something not offered to them by Naval Air.”

Marines with CSSD-36 attempt to get a preschool class at Kinnan Hoikuen to “form-up” for a class photo.

help communicate,”said Lance Cpl. Eric M.Koluch, CSSD-36,supply and administra-tion clerk. “They’rereally young but pickup on everything veryfast. We had a goodtime.”

“We’re happy tosee the interaction withthe kids,” said ShigekoIshii, Kinnan HoikuenPrincipal. “Throughthe program, we canget a better under-standing of each otherand our ideas. We arelooking forward to the next visit.”

The participating schools wouldlike a small group of service membersto participate once or twice a monthfrom anywhere between half an hourto two hours a session, said Yamada.A Japanese translator usually accom-panies the groups.

The Partnership Program is a greatway to connect with the people of our

host nation, said Koluch. It’s anopportunity to experience somethingside-by-side in which we both have achance to teach and to learn. Plus,when else do we get to play with Play-Doh at work?

There are still five schools that needsponsorship, said Yamada. Interestedservice members should contact thechaplain’s office at 253-3371.

The Office of Government Ethics recentlyreleased a reference addressing the proper way toavoid potential conflicts of interest while pursuingemployment opportunities.

The memo states under the following language:“Employees shall not participate personally andsubstantially in any particular matter that, to hisknowledge, has a direct and predictable effect on thefinancial interests of a prospective employer withwhom the employee is seeking employment.”

The OGE memo clarifies the term “seekingemployment,” which is defined broadly.

For example, government employees must givean outright rejection to any overture by a pro-spective employer, or they will be considered to

Ethics code restricts job searchCPL. DAVID REVERE

Combat Correspondentbe seeking employment.

A proper rejection should make it clear that thereis no interest in considering the employment at thepresent time and no plans for such consideration arein the foreseeable future. The memo further statesthat communicating with a prospective employerthrough a third party is still considered seekingemployment.

“A lot of these issues depend on what type ofjob you have and your rank,” said Lt. Col. CharlesW. Stubbs, Station Judge Advocate. “But we allneed to do our best to represent governmentinterests conflict free.” Violation of the ethics codesregarding post-government employment is a serious,and potentially criminal, offense.

Even seemingly innocent interaction with aprospective employer may place governmentemployees in conflict with the code.

In one government ethics code case this year, aU.S. Air Force contract negotiator pleaded guilty to aconspiracy charge for negotiating for a job withBoeing Corporation while still supervising thecompany’s work for the Air Force. The woman wassentenced to nine months in prison.

“In cases like this, there’s a serious conflict ofinterest,” said Stubbs. “Our duty is to represent ourgovernment to the best of our ability, and to do sofree of conflicts.”

For more information on restrictions on seekingpost-government employment, call the Station JudgeAdvocate office at 253-5591.

HOLIDAY from Page 1

Memorandum advises service members seeking post-government employment

Perry is absolutely the perfect role model for that.” Perry is a part of the Parish Counsel, a smalladvisory board that makes decisions for hischurch. There is pride in the decision making processfor our community, said Perry. Along with being a member of the ParishCounsel, Perry is also an elementary Sundayschool teacher. “I feel a joy knowing that I have a smallinfluence in their lives, to help guide them,” saidPerry.

Perry is a volunteer during the Catholic Churchservices, and also a facilitator for the Rite ofChristian Initiation for Adults class, where peoplecan come to ask questions about the Catholicfaith.

“I feel charged after that class,” said Perry, “Ileave that class with a buzz.”

Perry said he feels as though he learns morethan the students in that class because, afterreceiving questions, he goes home and researchesit so he can provide them with the correct, detailedanswers.

Perry was very modest about receiving theaward because of the other volunteers out therewho have been working with him.

“We have more work than we have people,”said Perry.

He said he loves what he does for the commu-nity and feels willing to take on more.

“If there is something going on, he’s there,”said Clark. “If you need something, you go toRick.”

are (military occupational specialty) specific. Theother two are pre-holiday and pre-summer safetystanddowns.”

According to Perry, before the push on sum-mer safety standdowns, Iwakuni suffered sixdrownings in four years. Since the pre-summersafety standdowns, beginning in 2000, there has

not been a single drowning.The focus of the pre-holiday safety standdowns

is drinking and driving and suicide prevention, saidPerry.

According to statistics from the Naval SafetyCenter, from fiscal year 2000-2004, 258 Marines diedfrom motor vehicle accidents. Four Marines havedied said Parsons.

Other areas of concern drivers need to be wary

of are adverse weather conditions and road construc-tion.

“Planning a route ahead of time and checking foranything that might impair your driving is alwaysthe best way to go,” Parsons said.

Throughout the holidays, safety should be thefirst thing on everyone’s list so the number of mis-haps can be reduced and everyone gets back to workon Monday.

Information from a Staff Judge Advocate,Marine Corps Bases Japan memorandum wasused in this story

PAGE 6 FEATURETORII TELLER, NOVEMBER 19, 2004

The Chili Slip-n-Slide (no, it’s not the newest rideat Disney World), held its sixth annual chili cook-offand softball tournament at Penny Lake, Nov. 13.

Five teams competed for two different Chili Slip-n-Slide titles: best chili and top softball team.

The spicy festivities kicked off at 9:00 a.m. withthe first softball game between team Big Kyle andteam Do-Up. Big Kyle stomped Do-Up in a 13-4victory.

Big Kyle left fielder, Damon L. Wilson, was abright spot in the lineup with a solid bat throughoutthe day. He hit an in-the-park home run as well asmany other base hits to contribute to the win.

Competition is a large part of the tournament, butit’s really just an excuse for everyone to come outand have fun and enjoy some good food, said KeithCarr, Marine Corps Community Services sportscoordinator.

The teams were designed for this tournamentonly. The Chili Slip-n-Slide tournament has noaffiliation with the intramural softball league,although teams from the league were allowed to jointhe competition.

Entrance to the tourney didn’t cost the teamsany money, but they did have to submit a pot ofChili to gain admission.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY

PFC LUKAS J. BLOM

Combat Correspondent

The Chili competition was what many of theteams were waiting for. There were seven differentrecipes up for critique, ranging from vegetarian tolots of meat, spicy to mild, and canned to homemade.

In the end, the winner of the coveted chili cook-off trophy was team Misfits.

“We might not be able to play softball very well,but at least we can cook,” said Perry J. Miller Misfitsfirst baseman.

After everyone got a chance to get some chili,there was a little individual competition.

The first of the three individual events was theaccurate arm throw. The competitor stands behindsecond base, 150 feet away from home plate, andthrows a soft ball, trying to hit a trashcan sitting onhome plate.

Last years champion, Damon Wilson (who wonall three events last year), was dethroned by ShawnR. Minosky who had a score of eight.

Wilson reclaimed his title in the fastest baserunner contest with a smoldering time of 11.33seconds.

Taking home the trophy and bragging rights ofthe home run competition was Freddie J. Jones, whohammered seven out of ten pitches for homers.

The overall team champion was Big Kyle, eliminat-ing each of their competitors by at least five runs.

“The Chili was great and we had a great day ofsoftball that everyone and their families couldenjoy,” said Carr.

Big Kyle's center fielder Jeffery T. Ball sports a new hat as he walksoff the field and prepares to bat.

Pery J. Miller and Leila R. Carlson of the Misfitsproudly display their best chili trophy. “We mightnot be able to play softball very well, but at least wecan cook,” said Miller.

The trophy that is sought after by many teamsyear after year for the Chili Slip-n-Slide SoftballChampions towers above the rest.

Hitman's center fielder, Freddie J. Jones, rips agrounder down the first base line for a single in thelast game of the night against Big Kyle. Big Kyle wonthe showdown, 15-6.

The Hitmen turn an easy out in their first game against Big Kyle. BigKyle won the match 13-8.

Do-Up shortstop Kenny A. Hendrix hammers a double down the third base line in the first game of the day against Big Kyle.

Big Kyle claims Chili Slip-n-Slide softball tournament

Big Kyle's Jeffery T. Ball beats the throw from Hitman's second basemanShawn R. Minosky. Minosky was also the winner of the accurate armthrow competition.

filters, electric winder,flash, accessories, carry-ing case, $250. Call Maj.Braund at 253-4584 dwhor 253-5705 awh.

Misc., “Huge Yard/Mov-ing Sale”, provided by 7families, Dec. 12, 9 a.m. to2 p.m. in the communityroom, Building 658, YuriTower. Items for sale in-clude assorted pieces offurniture, home decor,household goods, elec-tronics, craft and stamp-ing supplies, campinggear, and name brandclothing and shoes.

Misc., Graco swing, $20;Medela Pump-In-Style,$200; Kolcraft bassinet,$45; coffee and end tableset , cherry color withglass in the middle, $120.

Honda Odyssey, 1995, 8passenger van, blue, 4wheel drive, excellentcondition, very clean, JCIuntil July 2006, $3,000. CallTim at 253-6853 dwh or253-2804 awh.

Nissan Skyline GTS-T,1991, 2 door, black, auto-matic, sports exhaust,HKS blow off valve,Apexi air intake air filter,engine mount bar, enginetimer, A/C, P/W, good carand deal, JCI until July2006, $2,500 obo. CallLeroy at 253-5509 dwh or090-6438-0685.

Toyota MR2, 1991, 2 door,JCI until 2006, $2,500. CallChristian Dale at 253-5578dwh or 253-2613 awh.

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.

Mitsubishi Chariot, 1991,7 passenger, 4 door,hatchback, JCI until July2005, $1,500 obo. Call TaraDale at 253-2613.

Misc., walnut lamp tablewith glass top, good con-dition, $25; 18 speed bike,good condition, $75. CallBeverley Suther at 253-2715.

Misc., Wave Masterpunching/kicking bag,sparring gear for adultmale, female and child,stretching machine, $300for all or willing to sellseparately; multi speedstreet bicycle, good con-dition, very tall, $30; olderCanon AT-1, 35mm cam-era with telescopic lens,

Call Tara Dale at 253-2613.

Misc., small travel stroller,$5; baby bath seat, $2; in-fant bath tub, $5; cr ibwedge, $8; Boppy pillow,$10; Graco infant car seat/carrier, blue & green plaid,$15; head-n-back newborn positioner, $5; pic-ture ornament books, setof 2, new, $6. Call Erica at253-2203.

CHRO (253-6828)MCCS:–Supervisory Education

Services SpecialistLogistics:–Supply Management

OfficerFacilities:–Interdisciplinary Engi-

neer

AUTOMOBILES

PAGE 8 FEATURETORII TELLER, NOVEMBER 19, 2004 CLASSIFIED PAGE 9TORII TELLER, NOVEMBER 19, 2004

FRIDAY

11 a.m./5 p.m. Down Periscope (PG-13)2 p.m./8 p.m. The Majestic (PG)

11 p.m./5 a.m. The Art Of War (R)2 a.m. Beautiful Joe (R)

SATURDAY11 a.m./5 p.m. Confessions Of A Teenage

Drama Queen (PG) 2 p.m./8 p.m. Daddy Day Care (PG)

11 p.m./5 a.m. Beyond Borders (R)2 a.m. Wonder Boys (R)

SUNDAY

11 a.m./5 p.m. Two Brothers (PG)2 p.m./8 p.m. King Arthur (PG-13)

11 p.m./5 a.m. Brown Sugar (PG-13)2 a.m. Wrong Turn (R)

MONDAY11 a.m./5 p.m. Ella Enchanted (PG)2 p.m./8 p.m. I, Robot (PG-13)

11 p.m./5 a.m. Black Hawk Down (R)2 a.m. The Contender (R)

TUESDAY

11 a.m./5 p.m. Good Boy! (PG) 2 p.m./8 p.m. Master And Commander (PG-13)

11 p.m./5 a.m. Bounty Hunter (R)2 a.m. Exorcist (R)

WEDNESDAY

11 a.m./5 p.m. Hot Shots (PG-13)2 p.m./8 p.m. Shallow Hal (PG-13)

11 p.m./5 a.m. Bulletproof Monk (PG-13)2 a.m. The Last Stop (R)

THURSDAY11 a.m./5 p.m. Orange County (PG-13)2 p.m./8 p.m. League Of Extraordinary

Gentlemen (PG-13)11 p.m./5 a.m. Women On Top (R)

2 a.m. The Longest Yard (R)

MOVIE SCHEDULESAKURA THEATER

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTSIn depicting the daily grind of coach Gary

Gaines’ winning team and the potential des-tinies of its individual players, the storypaints a vivid portrait of Odessa where, oncea week during the fall, the town and its dreamscome alive beneath the dazzling and disori-enting Friday night lights when the Pantherstake to the field. Friday Night Lights illumi-nates the hopes and dreams of Odessa’stowns folk. (117 minutes)

THE INCREDIBLESOnce one of the world’s masked crime

fighters, Bob Parr fought evil and saved liveson a daily basis. Fifteen years later, he andhis wife have been forced to take on civilianidentities and retreat to the suburbs with theirchildren. The sidelined superhero gets hischance when a mysterious communicationsummons him to a remote island for a topsecret assignment. Now, the family mustcome together and once again find the fantas-tic in their family life. (105 minutes)

POLAR EXPRESSBelieving in Santa Claus isn’t easy when

all of your friends and family insist he’s justmake-believe. A boy’s faith is rewarded oneChristmas Eve when he’s awakened by asteam train that pulls up in front of his houseand takes him and other children to the NorthPole to meet Santa. (100 minutes)

FRIDAY7 p.m. Ladder 49 (PG-13)

10 p.m. Friday Night Lights (PG-13)

SATURDAY1 p.m. First Daughter (PG)4 p.m. The Incredibles (PG)7 p.m. Mr. 3000 (PG-13)

10 p.m. Ladder 49 (PG-13)

SUNDAY4 p.m. First Daughter (PG)7 p.m. Resident Evil 2: Apocalypse

(R)

MONDAY7 p.m. Wimbledon (PG-13)

TUESDAY

7 p.m. Ray (PG-13)

WEDNESDAY7 p.m. The Incredibles (PG)

THURSDAY7 p.m. Polar Express (G)

OUT THE GATEcelled in the event of rain. Call 41-1477 for more details.

Ebisu FestivalA festival is scheduled around the

Ebisu Shrine in Hiroshima City to-day and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.It will not be cancelled in the eventof rain. Call 082-241-6268 for de-tails.

Yanai “Parasol Shop” Flea Mar-ket

A flea market is scheduled Tues-day, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., along the streetin front of JR Yanai Train Station.Call 0820-22-3731 for more details.

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

Kintai Bridge Maple FestivalThere is a pressed flowers dis-

play at Iwakuni Chokokan museumnow through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5p.m., and Bonsai tree display atKikkawa Museum now through Sun-day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A market willbe held by the Kikko Shrine Satur-day and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.Some of the events may be can-

–ArchitectS-6:–Electronic TechnicianClinic:–Occupat ional Heal th

Nurse

Chaplains Office (253-6460)–Non-DenominationalMusic Director

MCCS (253-3030)(The following jobs areopen at MCCS Person-nel)MCCS Job Listing:–Physical Security Super-

visor, Executive Admin-istration Office

–Merchandise Manager,Merchandising, civilianonly

–Retail Area Supervisor,Main Complex, civilianonly

–Store Worker, MainComplex, civilian only

–Auto Hobby Shop Su-pervisor, Auto Hobby,civilian only

–Wood Hobby /Cra f t sSuperv i so r , WoodHobby/Arts & Crafts,

OTHER ITEMS

JOB OPENINGS

Japanese Ancient Martial ArtsPerformance

Visitors can view the perfor-mance at the Itsukushima Shrine,Miyajima Island, Nov. 28, 9 a.m. to2 p.m., 26 martial art schools per-form drills. An admission is requiredto enter the shrine. For further in-formation, call 0829-44-2011.

Hiroshima Castle EventsThere will be Kagura perfor-

mance, a Japanese sacred music anddance, Saturday and Nov. 27, start-ing at 5 p.m. They may be cancelledin case of inclement weather. Call082-221-6516 for more information.

civilian only–Operations Assistant,

Auto Hobby Shop, civil-ian only

–Club Operations Assis-tant, Club Iwakuni, civil-ian only

–Duty Manager, Tempo-rary Lodging Facility

Continuously Open JobsLoss And Prevention:–Security Guard (Loss

And Prevention Agent)Retail Branch:–Laborer–Sales Clerk–Store Worker–Food Service Worker

(Auto Mini Mart)Food & Hospitality:–ID Checker–Waiter/Waitress–Food Service WorkerServices Branch:–Car Rental/Service Sta-

tion Attendant–Car/Washer/LaborerLibrary Branch:–Library Aid–Library TechnicianGo to www.mccsiwakuni.com for a complete joblisting.

“Hey, this money is funny.” No, it’s not. It’s just a new bill, which went into circulationthe first of this month. According to Masahiko Watanabe, assistant manager of alocal branch of Yamaguchi Bank, the new Japanese banknoteswere issued nationwide Nov. 1. To prevent counterfeiting, the new banknotes have securitydevices such as pearl ink, watermarks and holograms. In previous news releases, the Finance Ministry statedthere is one more piece of technology used to preventcounterfeiting, but its being kept secret to make it harder for

counterfeiters. The real changes are the people honored on the bills. The old1,000-yen bills honored Soseki Natsume, a 19th century authorfamous for his novels such as “Botchan” and “I am a Cat.” The new bills feature a portrait of Hideyo Noguchi, amicrobiologist who isolated the cause of syphilis. Noguchi didresearch in the United States and then went on to SouthAmerica and Africa where he died from yellow fever whiletrying to create a vaccine for the disease. Inazo Nitobe was the person featured on the old 5,000-yen

bills. He was a scholar who taught at several universities inTokyo. He also wrote “Bushido – The Way of the Warrior.” The new bill has a picture of Ichiyo Higuchi, a 19th centuryfemale author who wrote about the unhappy and restricted lives ofyoung women in Japan. This was a subject she knew well from firsthand experiencesince she was forced to end her education after grammar school.She died from tuberculosis at 24 as a result of poverty and exhaus-tion. She is considered one of Japan’s first feminist authors. The only other woman on a Japanese banknote is MurasakiShikibu, the 11th century author of “Tale of Genji,” the story of lifein feudal Japan. Her portrait is on the 2,000-yen bill, which wasintroduced in the summer of 2000 to commemorate the G-8 Summit

Conference in Okinawa. This bill remains unchanged. The 10,000-yen bill, the largest denomination bill, remains un-changed. It has a picture of Yukichi Fukuzawa, a 19th century scholarwho founded Keio University in Tokyo. The school is considered one of the top two universities in Japanand many of Japan’s current politicians graduated from there. The new bills are in circulation and are issued at banks. “The cash machines and vending machines are all set up to use thenew bills,” stated Watanabe.

GUNNERY SGT. M.A. ZEID

Combat Correspondent

New bills to foil funny moneyJapanese currency changes frustrate counterfeiters

PAGE 10 COMMUNITY BRIEFS

Test ScheduleTuesdays/Fridays - CLEP,DSSTMonday - SATNovember 29 - ACT

For more information call253-3855.

Healthy Thanksgiving Cook-ing ClassTuesday, 6-8 p.m. in the Iron-Works Gym Wellness Kitchen.Sign-up for $5 by calling 253-6359. Children under 17 must beaccompanied by an adult.

CHRO Trainingn Family Member Local Em-ployment Orientation: Dec. 8,8-9 a.m.

FAMILY APPRECIATION BOWLING DAYSSaturday, 1-5 p.m. All games are half price, 75 cents, at the Bowling

Center. Call 253-4657 for details.

HOLIDAY BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTCoaches meet Nov. 30, 9:30 a.m. in the IronWorks Gym Wellness

Room. The tournament is Dec. 4, 9 a.m. on the Sports Courts. Formore details, call 253-5777.

HOLIDAY PARTY & SALEDec. 19, 12-5 p.m. Customers receive 25-50 percent off select items

at the Torii Pines Golf Pro Shop and enjoy free wine and cheese.

16TH ANNUAL JAPANESE AMERICAN GOODWILL DUATHLONRace your friends for a trophy Nov. 28, 9 a.m. The Duathlon con-

sists of a five-kilometer run, 28-kilometer bike race, and second five-kilometer run on the Station. Open to the Station residents, family mem-bers, and local residents. The event kicks off at the IronWorks Gym.Call 253-5777 for further information.

DODGEBALL TOURNAMENTCoaches meet Dec. 7, 9:30 a.m. in the IronWorks Gym Wellness

Room. The tournament takes place Dec. 11, 9 a.m. on the Sports Courts.Call 253-5777 for more information.

ANNUAL THREE-CLUB GOLF TURKEY SHOOTSunday, 7:30 a.m. showtime and 8 a.m. shotgun start. Only three

clubs per player are allowed on the course. Enjoy special contests inthis point tournament with individual gross and net score prizes. Formore information, call 253-3402.

IWAKUNI SPORTS SCENE

TORII TELLER, NOVEMBER 19, 2004 SPORTS PAGE 11TORII TELLER, NOVEMBER 19, 2004

COMMUNITY BRIEFSR At the Marine Lounge, from12 p.m. until all of the food isgone. Free and open to MCCSpatrons and guests age 18 andolder, in addition to all servicemembers. Visit us on the sec-ond floor of Crossroads MallR At the Hornet’s Nest, from12 p.m. until all of the food isgone. Free and exclusively forsingle and unaccompanied ser-vice members. Enjoy lots offood, drinks and gamesR Thanksgiving Day GrandBuffet in the Club Ballroom, 11a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy herb roastedhoneysuckle turkey, SeafoodNewburgh, roasted prime rib ofbeef, roasted rum glazed hamwith orange caramel sauce, andmore. $4.95 for children ages 4-10 and $14.95 for adults. Reser-vations can be made by calling253-5416.

MCX (253-5641)n After Thanksgiving Sav-ings Event: Nov. 26-28, 10 a.m.to 9 p.m. Discounted items in-clude Kuran and Cheviot jew-elry, T-Fal cookware and JamieOliver series, Yamaha Speakersystems, Women’s Corduroyjeans and Polo jeans, and more.Enjoy hourly door busters Nov.26, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

MCFTB (253-3754)n L.I.N.K.S. Session: Satur-day, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Yujo Hall.

n RESUMIX: Dec. 8, 9:30-10:30 a.m.n Outbound Family MemberPriority Placement Program:Dec. 8, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Formore information and nomina-tion, call 253-6828 or send e-mailto shiomuram.jp@iwakuni.usmc.mil. Classes will be held at CHROtraining room, Building one,Room 102.

CRMC Classes (253-6439)n Ten Steps To Federal Em-ployment: Tuesday, 9-11 a.m.Learn effective writing and for-matting tips for federal job ap-plications.n Local Employment Over-view: Nov. 30, 9-10:30 a.m.

Club Iwakunin Thanksgiving Day Buffets,Thursday:

EDUCATION

HEALTHCARE

Single Marine Program (253-3585)n Spades Tournament: Satur-day, 6 p.m. Great prizes for first,second and third place winners.n Kenko Kudamatsu IceSkating: Nov. 27, 10 a.m. $10transportation. ¥400 for skaterental and ¥1,100 for admission.Bring extra yen for food andsouvenirs.

School Age Center (253-4769)n Monthly Birthday Party:Nov. 30, 4-5 p.m. Celebrate yourbirthday this month with cake,games and friends. Membersborn this month receive a cou-pon redeemable at Iwakuni’sRoute 2 McDonald’s.

Youth & Teen Center (253-6454)n Maple Festival At IwakuniKikko Park: Sunday, 8:30 a.m.to 2:30 p.m. Eight SMART Girlmembers can participate in alocal festival dressed in kimono,listen to Japanese music, andeat Japanese food. Sign-up to-day.

Library Christmas BingoNow through Dec. 22, visit theStation library to receive bingocards with various genres ofbooks in each square. When li-brary patrons read a book froma particular genre, a square ismarked. When five squares aremarked, patrons may select asmall prize from under theChristmas tree. Their name isthen entered into a drawing fora grand prize, to be selectedDec. 22. Participants must be at

Photo courtesy of MWSS-171 Chaplain’s Office

Lt. Dan Reardon, Marine Aircraft Group 12 chaplain, takes off in the backseat of an F/A-16 fighter jet. Reardon, who has all his selected tactical jetpassenger qualifications, received the flight as a special honor from theRoyal Thai Air Force during this year’s Thailand Incremental TrainingProgram exercise. “We hit nine g’s on a bombing getaway maneuver andwe did a straight up rocket blast with full backward loop,” said Reardon.

least 18-years-old. For details,call 252-3078.

Thrift Savings PlanEnrollment is open through Dec.31 for the Thrift Savings Plan.Visit the Financial Fitness officein room 217, Building 411, toreceive information about thefive different types of funds toinvest in. Call 253-6250 for moredetails.

Free Financial CounselingFinancial Fitness Counselorsare available to provide assis-tance in setting up a spendingplan to live within your means,pay off high interest debts morequickly, and develop your fi-nancial goals. Call 253-6250 formore information.

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

Thrift StoreThe Thrift Store is open Mon-days from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.,Wednesdays from 5-7 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.

MCCS

COMMUNITY

CHRO

Roman CatholicSaturday 4:30 p.m. Confession

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

10:45 a.m. CCD

ProtestantSunday 8 a.m. Non-Denominational Christian

Worship Service9:30 a.m. Sunday School/

Adult Bible Fellowships11 a.m. Gospel Worship Service

Cooperative Chapel Ministries3rd Saturday 8 a.m. Men’s Fellowship Breakfast

CHAPEL SERVICES

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

10:30 a.m. Worship ServiceWednesday 7 p.m. Bible Study

Seventh-Day Adventist2nd & 4th Saturdays

9:30 a.m. Sabbath School/Worship

JewishEvery other Friday

6:30 p.m. Shabbat

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

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

For information regarding divine services, religiouseducation or any other Command Religious Program/Chapel activity, call the Station Chapel at 253-5218.

LAY LED SERVICES

Chaplain turns fighter pilot

The Navy Sasebo JuniorReserve Officer’s Training Corpsunit defeated the Marine CorpsIwakuni JROTC unit for theCommander’s Cup, Saturday.

The Commander’s Cup is acompetition between the Iwakuniand Sasebo JROTC units to helpbuild camaraderie and compete inhealthy competition between theMarine Corps and Navy. TheCup consists of events such aspaintball, drill, inspection, a physical fitness test andother relay events.

Nov. 12, the two teams battled it out on thepaintball field. Although the event did not count forscore, it was an event the cadets could enjoy somefun, paint-smearing competition.

The next day the two teams competed againsteach other in drill, Marine Corps knowledge andphysical training.

According to Cadet Sharrell J. Bellous, one of thetougher events was the inspection. The studentsfound the Marines intimidating. To some cadets, itwas nerve-racking to be asked a question like,

STORY AND PHOTOS BY

LANCE CPL. CRISTIN K. BARTTER

Combat Correspondent

JROTC competes for Commander’s Cup

"It's been fun!" said Cadet PFC Kjrsten R. Okland as she takescover in a paintball tournament against Sasebo.

“What is your fifth generalorder?”

“I think that this is great,”said Cadet 2nd LieutenantCindy L. Stasher. “It allowsus to show out ability andknowledge in competition.”

The JROTC program is amilitary regulated high schoolcourse with the purpose ofeducating students inleadership and motivatingthem to become better U.S.

citizens.“One of our

goals is to makethem betterleaders and tohelp mold theminto respectablecitizens so that,once they getout into the civilian world, they cansucceed,” said Gunnery Sgt. Kevin C.Crone, a Marine instructor for theIwakuni JROTC unit. The leadershiptraits and the things that we teachMarines to help them become success-ful will bring success in the civilianworld as well.

“We want to give them the toolsthat they need to be successful in whatthey choose to do,” said Crone.

Gunnery Sgt. Mathis L. Prunty inspects Cadet Lance Cpl.Jessica M. Kwasny on her military uniform and MarineCorps knowledge.

JROTC Iwakuni cadets work as a team todo as many sit-ups possible. The goal is tomove together as one.

Although the Iwakuni JROTC unit lost in almostevery event, they managed to keep their spirits highand prepare for future events to come.

“We tried our best,” said Cadet PFC Kjrsten R.Okland.

The JROTC unit will be competing in the Far Eastcompetition in February. The competition is goingto have the same events as the Commander’s Cup,but there will only be 13 cadets allowed to competein every event.

PAGE 12 SPORTSTORII TELLER, NOVEMBER 19, 2004

Mile one, Nov. 10, 1775,the leatherneck is born in TunTavern. Mile 137, 1912 AlfredA. Cunningham introducesaviation to the Marine Corpswhich adds a whole newdimension to it’s war fightingprowess. Mile 229, presentday Marines in Iraq andAfghanistan fight coura-geously for the war on terror.

Marines from MarineAviation Logistics Squadron12 began the 229-mile MarineCorps birthday run, Nov. 9, tocommemorate each of theCorps’ 229 decorated years asthe best fighting force in theworld. They completed their2nd annual Marine Corpsbirthday run that was 229years in the making Nov. 10.

“We wanted to bringcamaraderie and focus towhat it means to be part ofthis Corps,” said Sgt. Maj.Devell Durham Jr., MALS-12sergeant major. “We want people to remember thesignificance of being a U.S. Marine.”

The run kicked off at 7:30 a.m. at the north side

229-mile birthday run honors MarinesSTORY AND PHOTOS BY

PFC LUKAS J. BLOM

Combat Correspondent

football field. The oldest Marine in the squadron,Master Gunnery Sgt. Allen Dedmon, MALS-12avionics chief, born in 1956, ran the first mile

carrying the squadron and MarineCorps colors.

The first 225 miles of the run wererun in one-mile lengths by individualMarines from the squadron whovolunteered prior to the event, saidDurham. The runners kept a consis-tent eight minute mile pace.

“When we put the run roster upfor volunteers to sign up, all 224 slotswere taken in less than 15 minutes,”said Durham.

The youngest Marine in theSquadron, PFC Michael A. Teague,MALS-12 maintenance administrationclerk born in 1986, completed the226th mile at 1:14 p.m.

Out of the 738 service members

with MALS-12, 580 were able to participate in theannual event, said Durham. Some of the absentservice members are currently serving with the 31stMarine Expeditionary Unit in Iraq.

“We want Marines to realize what’s happening inthe real world,” said Durham. “We’re going upagainst the enemy in Iraq and doing great things.This is about every Marine and Sailor and remember-ing what they are doing at this hour.”

The run was started one year ago by theMarauders to begin a birthday tradition where theycan continue to better themselves, said Durham.

“We had nothing that brought the focus to thebirthday,” said Durham. “So we came together asMarauders and everyone touched the colors tosignify esprit de corps and what we represent as aunit. The standard will be raised every year.”

“We are professionals at what we do in procur-ing and delivering aircraft components,” said Capt.Luis E. Ortiz, MALS-12 executive officer. “Some-times you have to be well rounded in all aspects to

complete your mission.An event like thiscommemorates whatwe’ve done andexemplifies how we’rewell rounded Marines.This shows what we dobeyond repairingaircraft parts.” With the 229thbirthday run complete,the Marines of MALS-12 look forward toanother year in theMarine Corps and newgoals to accomplish. “Whatever our job is,we’re Marines first,”said Durham.

Cpl. Trent A. Mathis, MALS-12 jet engine mechanic, car-ries the Marine Corps Colors on the 222nd mile of the birth-day run at the northside track here.

MALS-12 formed up ready to complete the last three milestogether. Service members of the squadron had beenrunning for over 30 hours to complete their 229-mile goal.

Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12 runs down the home stretch of the 229-mile journey they began morethan 30 hours ago.