Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Leo Salinas | Sgt. Alex Lay, a supply non-commissioned officer, carries piping for field shower...... read more read more
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Following the devastating 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck the island of Honshu, Japan, March 11, displaced persons have been sheltering in a community center provided by the local community – a community center without shower facilities.
Marines from Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, Marine Wing Support Group 17, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force, solved this dilemma at the Ooshima Community Center March 26.
MWSS-171 combat engineers and water support technicians built 12 showers with two water bladders, two water pumps and two heaters to provide hot water at the community center.
“This isn’t an exercise; this is an actual humanitarian mission. We’re Marines, and this is what we train for,” said Staff Sgt. Jose Agurto, utilities section operations chief, MWSS-171. “Not only are showers something they don’t have right now, but it’s going to help prevent them from getting sick.”
The mission, part of Operation Tomodachi, is a Japan-led initiative with U.S. forces providing logistical support.
The cooperation between the Japanese and U.S. military has been consistent and strong throughout the various missions they’ve conducted together, according to Japanese Lt. Col. Shizuo Kawano, vice logistics commander, North Eastern Japan Ground Self-Defense Force.
“I’m very happy the U.S. military came to help aid Japan,” he said. “We really appreciate the Marines working very hard to help the Japanese and would definitely like to operate with service members more often.”
The Marines with MWSS-171 completed construction of the shower facility in a few hours from unloading gear, staging the showers and connecting the pipes necessary to make the showers operational
“Since we’ve been working together, I’ve been very impressed with the effort service members have put into the work they’ve been doing. The U.S. military and Japanese have a lot more work to do everywhere,” said Kawano. “So far everything has gone very well, and I’m sure the end results will be great.”
The MWSS-171 Marines worked with Marines from Combat Logistics Regiment 35, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III MEF, and Task Force Fuji to complete the project.
| Date Taken: | 04.01.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 03.31.2011 22:49 |
| Story ID: | 68067 |
| Location: | OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 136 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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