Photo By Patrick Ciccarone | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Japan Engineer District (USACE JED) Engineering...... read more read more
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Japan Engineer District (USACE JED) Engineering Division held their annual Technical Forum at the Camp Zama Community Club on November 18th, 2025. This event, which included the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) Facilities Engineering Group, marked the 27th year of this preeminent collaboration. It was also the second annual meeting between U.S. and Japanese defense engineers following disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Tech Forum brought together approximately 75 engineers and architects from the two organizations.
Last year’s iteration was hosted by the MoD in their Ichigaya-based headquarters, located in the eastern portion of Shinjuku, Tokyo. JED and MoD rotate between the two locations each year, offering new opportunities to meet on each other’s ‘home turf’ to discuss the intricacies of defense engineering.
The forum highlighted the importance of face-to-face collaboration in advancing military engineering projects and bolstering mutual defense goals. The event was significant, providing a platform for engineers to exchange ideas and expertise while reinforcing the longstanding partnership between the U.S. and Japan.
“The Tech Forum is always a big annual highlight for everyone in our Engineering Division,” said JED Engineering Division Chief, Steve Karwan. “For the Americans on our team, the Tech Forum is often a key memory in our experience while working in Japan, and the return of this event after such a long hiatus is a testament to our continued support for this critical partnership.”
This reunion was a pivotal moment for both the Japan Engineer District and the MoD, underscoring their shared commitment to regional security and defense readiness. The forum also enabled engineers from both organizations to strengthen personal connections, paving the way for deeper cooperation on future projects.
“I have witnessed the excellent partnership that has been fostered between our two groups and am excited seeing so many familiar faces here today to continue building our key partnership,” expressed Karwan. “Even with many new people joining our teams each year, our alliance endures. This is because of the lasting strength and friendship between our two countries, and between our organizations.”
Collaboration between the two nations is essential, particularly given the evolving security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. The exchange of knowledge, skills, and engineering expertise is key to ensuring that both nations are prepared to face future challenges.
Engineers were divided into specialized groups, such as General Affairs, Architecture, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering, where they explored shared concepts and strategies. This collaboration is crucial in ensuring that military installations throughout Japan can support both U.S. and Japanese forces in a rapidly changing geopolitical environment.
During the forum, groups of U.S. and Japanese senior leaders and engineers discussed various aspects of Host Nation Construction delivery, and specific technical topics like barracks design, site challenges, aerial surveys, underground radar surveying, building control systems and innovative air conditioning, as well as LED lighting and indoor transformers.
A keynote presentation by JED discussed lessons learned in relation to designing and building in hot and humid climates, which is applicable across many areas in Japan. The presentation inspired technical discussions between JED and MoD on best practices and shared experiences in design and construction in these challenging environments.
“Through our collective experiences on various projects, we’ve learned the critical importance of anticipating local environmental factors, like humidity, and their impact on building performance,” offered Garrett Muraoka, one of JED’s technical leads. “It's about refining our design and construction practices to better address these challenges, ensuring that we can deliver more resilient projects in the future.”
Following an in-depth technical analysis, lessons learned were shared and allowed MoD members to provide their expert opinion on constructing and designing more efficiently in Japan.
“Developing and sharing regional design standards between JED and MoD may help mitigate risk of common issues in challenging environments across Japan,” said Ruey Hwu, JED’s Okinawa Mechanical Engineering Section Chief.
These discussions emphasized the role of innovation and adaptability in creating infrastructure that meets the demands of modern defense needs.
“The work we do in Okinawa is often closely coordinated with the Okinawa Defense Bureau, so it was incredibly beneficial for my team to also collaborate with the MoD engineers at this forum,” said Rob Baulsir, Deputy Chief of JED’s Engineering Division. “This event was also a valuable opportunity to strengthen the bonds within our Japan Engineer District team, which spans from Okinawa to our headquarters here at Camp Zama.”
The discussions continued into the evening, fueled by a shared passion for engineering that transcended cultural differences. Both sides left the forum optimistic about the future of U.S.-Japan military infrastructure projects, with plans to host next year’s forum at the MoD headquarters in Ichigaya.
“It is not common to find alliances, such as ours, where we meet regularly as a technical body to discuss real world technical issues and solve problems working together with common goals,” Karwan said. “Our efforts here are important, and they set the standard for partnership. As we move forward into the future, it is to everyone’s benefit that we continue to build upon this unique bond and common goals that we share between us.”
One thing is certain: the partnership between the Japan Engineer District and the Ministry of Defense remains stronger than ever, and events like the annual Technical Forum will only continue to reinforce that commitment.
“If we are to be prepared for the ever-changing threats of today, it will be because of the strong alliances we have formed, built, and strengthened,” noted Karwan. “The collaboration between the Japan Engineer District and the MoD is vital to our shared goal of delivering top-quality facilities for the defense of our alliance.”
| Date Taken: | 11.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.19.2025 19:12 |
| Story ID: | 551832 |
| Location: | ZAMA, KANAGAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 60 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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