An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : Media : News : News Article View
NEWS | May 3, 2023

USAG Japan Commander Vsits Key Sites, Recognizes Team Members, Meets City Mayors during Final Tour of Kure

By Noriko Kudo U.S. Army Garrison - Japan

KURE PIER 6, Japan -- The commander of U.S. Army Garrison Japan conducted his final visit to Kure Pier 6 and its three ammunition depots in Hiroshima April 24 through 26 ahead of the upcoming end of his tenure.

Col. Christopher L. Tomlinson said that when he took command in 2021, it was important for him to visit all 17 USAG Japan installations and sites across the country to meet as much of the workforce as possible and to gain a better understanding of their respective missions. As he prepares to depart, he wanted to revisit them all to thank the team members for their continued support of both the Garrison and the mission of the United States Army in Japan at large.

As Tomlinson neared the end of his Kure tour, which included visits to the Akizuki, Kawakami and Hiro ammunition depots, he pointed out two notable achievements of the workforce there over the past two years.

The first achievement was securing prioritization for several large-scale infrastructure projects at various sites when resources were at premium, he said, which made it possible to renovate and modernize some of the facilities. The second was the support they provided to the ammunition safety teams throughout the process.

“The team down here has done an enormous and great job of getting those projects approved so [that] we can get the infrastructure resources allocated to them,” Tomlinson said.

Tomlinson also paid courtesy visits to the offices of the mayors of the nearby cities of Etajima and Kure April 24 and 25, respectively. While there, he thanked them, their staff and the citizens of their two cities for their continuous partnership and support for the Garrison’s mission.

“I think we have a high level of engagement and relationship, both with Etajima and with Kure, which provides a transparent working relationship in support of the mission here,” Tomlinson said.

The commander stressed the importance of maintaining engagement with the local community, as well as the local leadership, in order to build mutual trust in support of the Army’s mission in Kure, which in turn supports the local community, he said.

Tomlinson also recognized a group of employees in Kure April 25, presenting them with either a Garrison coin or a certificate for their dedication and achievements. The commander said he was proud of the team for maintaining the infrastructure there and for running various Soldier and family programs at a very high standard.

“They are providing exceptional installation support services to this community and to the mission with the 10th Regional Support Group,” Tomlinson said.

Carlos Esmurria, the installation manager at Kure, Esmurria said he was appreciative of the commander coming to Kure to personally recognize some of the “small but mighty” staff, particularly because the installation is comparatively smaller and more isolated than some other Garrison sites.

As Esmurria himself gets ready to depart Kure soon, he praised the team there and said he is sure they will continue to succeed if they perform at the same level they have been.

“We are a small team that packs a big punch, and we get things done,” he said.

The commander echoed the sentiment, saying he looks forward to many great things from the team well into the future.

It was great to host Tomlinson one more time so that he could see changes the installation has undergone in two years and get an idea of the tremendous amount of effort that has gone into completing various projects there, Esmurria said.

“Over the course of two years, with everything the team has accomplished here to support not only the mission here, but the Garrison as a whole, I think it’s a validation that the commander sees this place as a strategic platform not only for us, but across Indo-[Pacific Command],” Esmurria said.

CONNECT WITH USINDOPACOM
Facebook

Like Us
Twitter
348,314
Follow Us

ENGAGE & CONNECT MORE WITH PACOM

                                                 

IN THE USINDOPACOM NEWS
U.S.-India Relationship Critical to Free, Open Indo-Pacific
U.S. Marines from the 3rd Amphibious Assault Battalion, 1st Marines, celebrate the end of a live fire exercise with Indian Army soldiers during exercise Bright Star 2023 in Egypt, Sept. 10, 2023.
Sept. 20, 2023 - A shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific bolsters the U.S.-India relationship as the two countries continue to strengthen defense ties, a senior Pentagon official said...

Innovating Logistics in the Pacific the 402nd Army Field Support Brigade Supports Talisman Sabre 23
The 8th Theater Sustainment Command Commander Maj. Gen. Jered Helwig, highlights key points of the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore operation to the Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth and other senior leaders during Talisman Sabre 2023 in Bowen, Australia, July 31, 2023. JLOTS demonstrates the critical capability of bringing vehicles and equipment to the shore in austere environments or when port facilities are unavailable. Talisman Sabre is the largest bilateral military exercise between Australia and the United States, with multinational participation, advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific by strengthening relationships and interoperability among key allies and enhancing our collective capabilities to respond to a wide array of potential security concerns.
Sept. 20, 2023 - The 402nd Army Field Support Brigade (AFSB) deployed in support of the 8th Theater Support Command and Talisman Sabre 23 (TS23) in Australia from June 19 through August 4...

US Army sustainers provide sealift to Australian armor for Super Garuda Shield
Australian Army M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks and vehicles are unloaded from the United States Army Vessel SSGT Robert T. Kuroda at Tanjung Perak Port in Indonesia during Exercise Super Garuda Shield 2023. At the invitation of Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI), Australia is contributing over 125 personnel from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to Exercise Super Garuda Shield 2023 (SGS23). SGS23 is an TNI and United States Indo Pacific Command led bilateral training activity. It is focused on joint operations with international partners in and around East Java in Indonesia from 31 August to 13 September. Held since 2009, the ADF first participated in 2022, and in 2023 is contributing an Australian Army force element including a Troop of M1A1 Abrams tanks from the 1st Armoured Regiment. The contingent also includes an Infantry Platoon from the 10th/27th Battalion, Royal South Australian Regiment, command and control elements, and a range of armoured vehicles, trucks and recovery vehicles. (Photo by Australian Defence Force Cpl. Dustin Anderson)
Sept. 19, 2023 - With Logistics Support Vessel 7 SSGT Robert Kuroda already in Australia for Talisman Sabre 2023, the conditions were set to transport Australian Defence Force tanks and equipment to Indonesia for Super Garuda Shield...

Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on the U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum Summit
Sept. 19, 2023 - President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will host Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders at the White House on September 25, 2023 during the second U.S.-Pacific Island Forum (PIF) Summit taking place September 25-26...

Joint Press Statement for the 23rd Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue
Sept. 18, 2023 - The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) Ministry of National Defense (MND) held the 23rd Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) on September 18, 2023 in Seoul...