Subscribe
CAMP BUTLER, Okinawa, Japan – Community relations specialists across Marine Corps Base Camp Butler organized 1,311 total events that were open to military and local Okinawan communities throughout 2024.
Each event garnered a total attendance of over 31,000 Status of Forces Agreement personnel and over 162,000 local community residents between events organized or hosted by Camps Courtney, Schwab, Hansen, Foster, Kinser and Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, and G-7, Government and External Affairs, Marine Corps Installations Pacific.
When people arrive to Okinawa – regardless of it is their first, second or third time on-island – there’s always a bit of an acclimatization period to get an understanding for the lay of the land,” said Sidney Sullivan, community relations officer with G-7, MCIPAC. “These COMREL events are a place where you can make friend and find your community on the military side, while also interacting with local community residents who join us for engagements that promote cross-cultural immersion. There is usually a mix of regular and first-time attendees, on both sides.”
From each base, every community relations specialist organized various events to create an environment where local community residents and SOFA personnel could interact with one another: ceremonies, open-base festivals, community service, cultural exchanges, sports, tours, and more.
Based on her personal experience, exchanges that involve English language and conversational practice are the most successful when developing a greater understanding between cultures and communities. This is due to the one-on-one time where local Okinawan residents can ask questions and find out what it is like to be a Marine.
“Local national residents might be wondering, “What do you do on your own time? Do you like CoCo’s curry?’ Since there are many news reports about the Marine Corps as a large organization, some locals have shown general curiosity about Marines’ individual experiences on Okinawa,” said Sullivan. Whenever you have a chance to expand your worldview through personal experiences, I find it is best to seize those opportunities.”
Whether organized by a military organization or not, SOFA personnel have many opportunities to take part in various activities where they can collaborate with the local Okinawan community.
Larger-scale events like Comic Con Okinawa and base festivals created an environment where thousands of attendees can experience pop culture from both nations. The Earth Day 2024 campaign was a series of clean-up events surrounding popular nature attractions. Marines and local residents of all ages collaborated to preserve the natural scenery.
Language exchanges held by the Single Marine Program, Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma Chapel were all recurring events with small gatherings.
“I like coming to this event because I can interact with many Americans and improve my English while teaching Japanese,” said, a local Japanese attendee. “For me, these language exchanges are good opportunities to interact with Americans and learn English.”
In preparation for the language exchange that occurs every Tuesday, attendees and hosts reorganize the chapel pews into small circles that seat six to ten people. Local Okinawan attendees of all ages, who are sponsored for base access by chapel personnel, and Marines, can join ongoing conversations, make new friendships, or refresh relationships with familiar visitors.
“Okinawa is especially a good place to interact with Americans and learn English,” she said. “Personally, I like Americans because they’re very friendly, especially those living in Okinawa who’ve adjusted to Japanese culture and are well mannered.”
To participate in events like these reach out to your local SMP and Marine Corps Community Services Okinawa establishments or keep an eye out on social media for additional information.
| Date Taken: | 04.23.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.28.2025 20:49 |
| Story ID: | 495949 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP BUTLER, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 12 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, The COMREL mission in Okinawa | COMREL Year in Review 2024, by Cpl Thomas Sheng, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
