U.S. service members stationed in Japan are a key asset to help maintain the peace in the Pacific. According to the USFJ website, about 38,000 service members are stationed in Japan ashore and 11,000 afloat throughout a total of 85 facilities on roughly 77,000 acres. American soldiers deployed to Japan are allowed to bring families to the bases, adding to the number of American citizens stationed in Japan.

To be stationed in Japan, one must be assigned to the U.S. Army Japan and I Corps, the III Marine Expeditionary Force (part of U.S. Pacific Command), the U.S. Navy 7^th Fleet, or the 5^th Air Force. The headquarters for U.S. Forces Japan is at Yokota Air Base, located 28 miles outside of Tokyo.

The Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between Japan and the United States ensures the establishment of U.S. bases in Japan. The USFJ calls the U.S.-Japan alliance “essential to the free world posture in the Pacific.” Service members stationed in Japan are vital to the U.S. because of Japan’s location within the Asia-Pacific region.

U.S. service members stationed in Japan have the opportunity to live in Japan and experience its culture by learning a new language and customs in the short time they are stationed in the country. This experience provides them the opportunity to look at the world with a different perspective, creating a more understanding relationship between the two allies.

This is where Japan-U.S. Military Program (JUMP) is essential to connect all who have been stationed in Japan and to continue engaging with the relationships they have built overseas. JUMP organizes events and provides a platform for U.S. military and their Japanese counterparts to reflect on the U.S.-Japan alliance.

Joining JUMP is simple! Sign up and join JUMP, and you’ll be invited to JUMP events throughout the U.S. and also keep informed through the monthly JUMP newsletter.

Article by Jin Lee