JUMP Spotlight Series: Share your Story

JUMP members have stories to tell. For many of us, our time in Japan was a highlight of our military service, a chance to see and contribute directly to the United States’ role in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. For families, it’s an opportunity for children to experience another culture, maybe even attend a Japanese school and learn a second language. We join culture clubs with locals, teach English in the community, and learn how to drive on the left or navigate public trains. We come back from Japan with anecdotes about the festivals we attended, the foods we tried, the friendships we made.

Here at JUMP, we care about building community. We love hearing how your experiences in Japan changed you. We know life in Japan can be hard and frustrating sometimes, as well as exhilarating and special. Our Spotlight Series is an opportunity for you and your families to share your unique stories. Anyone in the JUMP family is eligible to be profiled – active duty, retirees, government civilians, spouses and children, U.S. and Japanese nationals. We’ll share your story here on the JUMP website, as well as on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter feeds. Read previous editions of the JUMP Spotlight Series here.

Interested? Submit your story by emailing us at JUMP@spfusa.org. Give us a brief summary of your time in Japan — tell us when and where you were stationed and share a highlight from that time. A JUMP staff member will email you back — or give you a call, if preferred — with additional questions.

The Japan-U.S. Military Program connects past and present service members, families, and government civilians who have served in Japan. Through social networks and events, JUMP builds relationships and provides opportunities for service members to engage with each other. JUMP provides a powerful foundation for sustaining the solid alliance and relationship that exists between the United States and Japan.

We’re working on updates to the JUMP website to make visiting here more beneficial to the JUMP community. We’re planning to add more content, make the site more user-friendly, and provide resources that benefit members in the United States as well as those currently living in Japan.

We’d like to hear from you. Tell us where you look when you need information regarding travel, food, advice pages, news sources, and cultural activities outside the base gate. Please contact jump@spfusa.org and share your favorite travel sites, news sites, Facebook pages, or Japanese language resources. We’ll work on compiling your suggestions and will share them here on the JUMP website.

On Saturday, April 13, JUMP hosted a booth at the Sakura Matsuri on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. The Sakura Matsuri is the largest Japanese cultural festival in the United States and features many Japanese-interest groups, food vendors, and performances. The Cherry Blossom Festival itself is a celebration of the 3,000 cherry blossom trees the mayor of Tokyo gifted to Washington, D.C. in 1912.

The booth gave JUMP staff a great opportunity to talk to potential or current JUMP members face-to-face and hear about their experiences in Japan. Many stopped by with their families to discuss their memories from when they were stationed in Japan and to learn about ways to become more involved. Visitors were encouraged to follow JUMP on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Events like the Cherry Blossom Festival are a great opportunity for introducing those who served or lived in Japan to programs like JUMP, which brings elements of Japanese culture to the U.S. for those who were once immersed in the culture.

JUMP connects past and present service members, families, and government civilians who have served in Japan. If you did not have the chance to see us at this festival, join the JUMP network by signing up for the JUMP Newsletter.

The Japan U.S. Military Program is seeking a new Program Assistant. We’re looking for someone with an interest and familiarity with Japan and U.S.-Japan relations who would like to help us with our mission of connecting those who have served in Japan. This part-time role will provide logistical and administrative support to the JUMP Director, assist with planning and executing events, and requires excellent written and oral communications skills.

The ideal candidate will be someone with experience in event planning, project and budget management, and administrative support. He or she may travel three or four times a year to help with JUMP events in locations throughout the United States. This role also assists the Communications team with content for social media and the JUMP website. Candidates who have lived in Japan or who have had experience as a military member or family member are encouraged to apply.

This opportunity will begin as a six-month, part-time, independent contractor position without benefits. At the conclusion of the contract term, which will end on September 30, 2019, there will be an opportunity to be considered for full- or part-time employment with benefits, contingent on funding. The Program Assistant is part of the broader Sasakawa USA team and will work in our Washington, D.C. office.

Please read the full job description for details on how to apply. Applications are due by January 15.

The Japan U.S. Military Program connects past and present service members, families, and government civilians who have served in Japan. Through social networks and events, JUMP builds relationships and provides opportunities for service members and their families to engage with each other. JUMP provides a powerful foundation for sustaining the solid alliance and relationship that that exists between the U.S. and Japan.