“Jungle Attack” Strengthens Bonds Between CFAO and the Community

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Zachary Guth | WHITE BEACH NAVAL FACILITY, Japan Capt. Joseph Parsons, commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa, center-right, alongside Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Capt. Yuichi Watanabe, commanding officer of JMSDF Sub Area Activity Okinawa, addresses volunteers prior to commencing “Jungle Attack”, a community relations event onboard White Beach Naval Facility, March 9, 2026. Jungle Attack is an annual collaborative effort between the U.S. Navy and JMSDF to clear dense jungle at White Beach Naval Facility, ensuring local Okinawan families can access the many ancestral tombs located on base during Shimi - a traditional observance in April when families clean and visit gravesites to honor their ancestors. CFAO maintains and operates facilities to support United Nations Command-Rear missions, coalition and allied partners, U.S. Navy ships, submarines, and aircraft, and Joint force assets in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Zack Guth)  

OKINAWA, JAPAN

03.12.2026

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Macadam Weissman 

Commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa

OKINAWA, Japan -- More than 60 volunteers from Commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa (CFAO), Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and the local Heshikiya district personnel joined forces to clear overgrown pathways leading to ancestral Okinawan tombs aboard White Beach Naval Facility during CFAO’s annual “Jungle Attack” community relations (COMREL) event, March 9, 2026.

The event helps prepare the grounds for Shimi, a traditional Okinawan festival held each spring when families gather at ancestral tombs to honor their relatives with food, prayer and remembrance.

Armed with rakes, machetes and weed trimmers, Sailors and community members worked side-by-side to cut through dense jungle vegetation, ensuring safe access to the tomb sites before local families visit the area in April.

For many volunteers, it’s a chance to strengthen the long-standing relationship between the installation and the local community.

“Jungle Attack is a way for both nations to come together and honor these incredible spiritual sites,” said Lt. j.g. Brian Morris, CFAO security officer. "In 2025, we hosted more than 1800 visitors to the tombs on White Beach [Naval Facility] and this event is a way to help provide local families with a safer opportunity to continue their sacred traditions.”

The jungle surrounding the tomb sites require annual maintenance, making the COMREL a recurring example of cooperation between the installation and local residents.

Yeoman Seaman Apprentice Hana Nishi, from Annapolis, Maryland, said participating in the event offered a meaningful opportunity to give back to the local community while learning about her own culture.

“I love being in Japan,” said Nishi. “I’m part Japanese and I actually have family in Japan, so I was super excited to get the chance to give back to our neighbors and help prepare for the upcoming festival. I am happy to be learning my culture in every way possible.”

The annual effort reflects CFAO’s ongoing commitment to supporting local cultural traditions while maintaining strong partnerships with Okinawan communities and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force counterparts.

CFAO maintains and operates facilities to support United Nations Command-Rear missions, coalition and allied partners, U.S. Navy ships, submarines, and aircraft, and Joint force assets in the Indo-Pacific region.

• Date Taken: 03.12.2026
• Date Posted: 03.12.2026 21:09
• Story ID: 560451
• Location: OKINAWA, JP