The Avenger-class mine countermeasure ship USS Pioneer (MCM 9) pulls into Ishigaki Port on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, Japan, Sept. 7, 2023. U.S. Sailors hosted a tour of the ship and participated in a community relations event where they cleaned a beach along with members of the U.S. Consulate General Naha. The USS Pioneer is a forward-deployed class Mine Countermeasures Ship out of Fleet Activity Sasebo, underway conducting routine operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. This marks the first time that a U.S. Navy ship has pulled into Ishigaki since 2009, and the first that the Pioneer has made port at the island. (U.S. Marine Corps video by Gunnery Sgt. Andrew Ochoa)
