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NAVAL AIR FACILITY ATSUGI, Japan – All across the base, Sailors from Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi will be planting trees, flowers and picking up trash as part of an Earth Day celebration, April 22.
The United States Navy is celebrating the 44th Anniversary of Earth Day with Navy and Marine Corps commands worldwide participating in activities on and around that date to promote care and concern for the environment.
“For anyone living here on Atsugi, recycling is nothing new,” said NAF Atsugi Junior Sailor Association Vice President Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Shannon McGhee. “We’re asked to recycle every day when taking out our trash, so this is a day where we’re able to spotlight just how important what we’re doing is. Americans are statistically the most wasteful of any country in the world. By doing just the small stuff, we’re hoping it will make a huge difference.”
The event is being led by the NAF Atsugi First Class Petty Officer Association (FCPOA) and NAF Atsugi MWR working to help beautify the base.
“Any Sailor stationed here will tell you, the Japanese are very big on recycling and reusing space and material,” said Installation Anti-Terrorism Officer Chief Master-at-Arms Daniel Brooks. “It’s important to show both our junior Sailors and the local community, that we’re here to act as good stewards.”
The FCPOA along with the security department will be planting several trees and flower beds in commemoration of the day.
McGhee hopes that Sailors will take a greater pride and interest in their environment and work to help keep it clean and safe for everyone.
“My hope is that our Sailors will see the good work we’re doing and decide to come out and join us,” said McGhee. “These events are more than just doing a good turn daily, it’s about getting out there and taking pride in where you live, and making the most of the time we have here in Japan.”
According to the Honorable Dr. Donald C. Winter, 74th Secretary of the Navy, the U.S. Navy values the opportunity to partner with Japan and reaffirm our commitment to protecting the air, land and sea where our Sailors and Marines train to be guardians of freedom. Every day, both ashore and at sea, we put our environmental commitment into practice. More than 3,400 environmental professionals lead the Navy and Marine Corps efforts to meet the challenges of conserving natural resources, preventing pollution, saving energy and using equipment that is cleaner to manufacture, operate and dispose of.
In accordance with Winters’ announcement NAF Atsugi has pursued a path for a zero impact on the environment. In 2004 NAF Atsugi opened its own recycling center to help alleviate the base’s carbon footprint.
For many, Earth Day is another chance to get out with the installations Japanese counterparts to create a better and more sustainable environment for the base and the local community.
“As ambassadors in Japan, it’s our responsibility to act with respect to local customs and traditions, which includes doing our part to conserve and reuse resources,” said Brooks.
In that same way McGhee feels, all Sailors aboard NAF Atsugi and its tenant commands are committed to both protecting and maintaining their base and the local community with whom they share it.
| Date Taken: | 04.11.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 04.11.2014 02:08 |
| Story ID: | 125464 |
| Location: | ATSUGI, AICHI, JP |
| Web Views: | 43 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NAFA to take part in Earth Day clean-up, by SN Ryan Greene, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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