BambooBamboo BridgeBridge January-MarchJanuary - March 2009 2009 Ryukyu Resident Engineer culminates career page 8 Misawa employee completes 50 years government service page 5 Bamboo Bridge Bamboo Bridge News magazine of the Japan Engineer District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers this Commander and District Engineer COL Lawrence B. Holmes issue INSIDE Deputy Commander LTC Edward A. Mead Vol. 28, Issue 1 Jan.-March 2009 Public Affairs Jay Woods and Grant Sattler Commander’s Corner page 3 • Authorization: Bamboo Bridge Employee reaches 50-year milestone page 5 is an authorized unofficial news maga- zine of the Japan Engineer District Okinawa club construction at halfway point page 7 published bimonthly in accordance with Ryukyu Resident Engineer nears retirement page 8 Army Regulation 360-1 and AR 360-81, under supervision of the Public Affairs Pacific Ocean Division Commander visits page 10 Office. Zukeran Construction Representative wins Hard Hat page 12 • Mission: The Bamboo Bridge Lodging renovation completed on Camp Zama page 13 supports the District Commander’s internal information program and Senior Engineer Conference attendance grows page 14 serves as a tool for accurately Chili’s restaurant nearing completion page 16 communicating policies and command philosophy to Japan Engineer District Headquarters observes Black History Month page 17 employees, partners, and customers. Yokota AB boiler project progresses page 18 Additionally, this publication highlights the employees, customers, projects, Out & About page 19 and activities of the district. Yokosuka, Sayonara & More page 20 • Circulation: 300 copies. • Submissions: News, features, photographs, and art are solicited; publication depends on general interest as judged by the editor. No payment will be made for contributions. • Contact: Send an e-mail to cepoj-pa@ usace.army.mil or write to U.S. Army Engineer District, Japan, Unit 45010, Attn: CEPOJ-PA, APO AP 96338- 5010. • Contents: The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or the Department of the Army. News On the cover: photo by Grant Sattler Shigeru Exchange Visit Yoshimoto District Deputy Commander LTC Edward Mead answers outside the questions from Japanese Ground Self Defense Force engineers Okinawa Area visiting the Japan Engineer District Headquarters March 4, Office. 2009. After a briefing on the organization and activities of the District, the engineers visited the Engineering Branch Technical photo by Grant Sattler Services Section to see CADD renderings of future projects. Commander’s Corner JED Continues to Succeed Japan Engineer District Teammates, teamwork and quality of construction. During the Town Hall Once again, The Senior Engineer meeting in Okinawa BG Yenter Conference (SEC) was an announced that Mike Diaz had overwhelming success. The record won the POD Hard Hat of the Year setting attendance and comments Award. I can honestly say that we from our after action review proves completely surprised Mike with this that USFJ and JED are discussing award. Congratulations to Mike relevant topics and this annual and you can read more about his event is value added to everyone outstanding accomplishments in that attends. We were very fortunate this edition of the Bamboo Bridge. to have Mr. Joe Calcara, the Deputy The American Recovery & Assistant Secretary of the Army Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of for Installations and Housing, 2009 was signed by President as our guest speaker. It is rare Obama in February. This program to have so many senior leaders COL Lawrence B. Holmes is designed to put Americans to from Japan, HQ USACE and the work and stimulate the economy Department of Defense attending during these challenging economic the conference and staying with us for the entire week. times. Although the District will not receive funding On the weekend prior to the conference, JED’s senior directly from this program I do anticipate that we will leadership accompanied Mr. Calcara and Mr. Lloyd receive additional funding from some of the service Pike on site visits to Yokosuka, Iwakuni and Yokota. components to assist with additional operations and We were able to showcase our vast array of Japan maintenance projects. I know everyone is working Facility Improvement Projects, Defense Policy Review very hard to balance our current workload so that we Initiative (DPRI) Projects and Military Construction will be able to support what is shaping up to be a very Projects to our senior leadership. At every jobsite and busy year end. As we evaluate our increased workload, resident offices that we visited Mr Calcara and the I want everyone to understand that we will always entire group were impressed with the professionalism, strive to deliver world class quality, engineering teamwork and quality of construction. services & facilities for our customers, safely, on time, Additionally, we were honored to have BG Mark and within budget. Keep up the good work! Yenter attend the SEC and conduct site visits for his first trip to Japan as the Pacific Ocean Division (POD)Commander. BG Yenter spent over two weeks in Japan; He attended the SEC and visited Yokosuka, Iwakuni, Okinawa, Yokota and Camp Essayons! Army Strong! Zama. As he stated in two town hall meetings, he was also extremely impressed with the professionalism, LAWRENCE B. HOLMES COL, EN Commanding Bamboo Bridge, Jan.-March 2009 3 JEDチームメートの皆さん、 先日行われたSECでは、非常に大きな成功を収めることができました。出席者数が大変多かった事や、その 後に寄せられたＡＡＲのコメントから、USFJとJEDは適切な論題を取り上げ、出席者の皆さんにとって有 意義だったことがうかがえます。今回は、ゲストスピーカーとして陸軍副次官補(施設、住宅担当)のMr. Joe Calcaraをお迎えしました。日本政府、USACE本部や国防総省から、これ程多くの上級幹部が会議に出席し 滞在するのは、非常に稀な事だと思います。会議開催前の週末には、JED上層部の案内でMr. Calcara とMr. Lloyd Pikeと共に横須賀、岩国、横田の視察を行い、広範囲に及ぶJFIP, DPRI, MILCONプロジェクトの数々を 紹介する事ができました。それぞれの現場や現場事務所に於いて、皆さんのプロ意識やチームワークの良 さ、工事の質の高さに、一同は深い感銘を受けていました。 BG Mark Yenterにとっては、今回がPOD司令官に任命されて初めてのSEC出席と現場視察となりました。日 本には二週間滞在し、SEC後に横須賀、岩国、沖縄、横田、キャンプ座間を訪れました。二度のタウンホール ミーティングでも述べられたように、皆さんのプロ意識やチームワークの良さ、工事の質の高さに、非常に 深い感銘を受けていました。沖縄で開催されたタウンホールミーティングでは、BG Yenter はMike Diazさ んがPOD Hard Hat of the Year 賞を受賞した事を発表しました。Mikeさん自身も、この受賞にはとても驚い たのではないでしょうか。Mikeさん、おめでとうございます。彼の功績については、本誌の関連記事をご覧 下さい。 2009年度The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA)は、二月にオバマ大統領がサインし、発令さ れました。このプログラムは、景気低迷中の現在、アメリカ国民を職に就かせ、経済を刺激するためのもの です。JEDにこのプログラムから直接予算が付く訳ではありませんが、何らかの形で維持管理プロジェクト の増加が予想されるでしょう。皆さんは、忙しい年度末に備え、仕事量の均等化を図るべく努力を重ねてい る事と思います。今後仕事量の増加が見込まれますが、私達は常にカスタマーに対して世界的レベルの品 質、技術業務、施設を、安全且つスケジュール通りに、そして予算内で提供しなければなりません。このまま 良い状態を維持しましょう！ Essayons! Army Strong! Lawrence B. Holmes COL, EN Commanding Welcome New Teammate JED welcomes our newest teammate, Gabriel Fino. Gabriel was born on March 28th 2009 and weighed 7 lbs., 5 oz. Gabriel is the son of Eric and Angie Fino. Eric is a Project Engineer at the Zukeran Resident Office, Okinawa Area Office. 4 Bamboo Bridge, Jan.-March 2009 Hahn reaches 50 years federal USAF photo by SrA Jamal Sutter USAF photo by SrA Jamal Sutter service BY JAY WOODS Since he did not have a job waiting for him when PUBLIC AFFAIRS he retired, he went back to the States for a couple of Misawa AB—In June 2009 a U.S. Army Corps of months to get his visa. He then returned to Misawa to Engineer employee here will achieve a major career start looking for a job. He did not have much success milestone. Cecil Hahn, a Service Support Specialist at with the job search until May 1987 when he was hired the Misawa Resident Office, will complete 50 years as a GS3 by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Japan of federal service—40 of them at this key airbase Engineer District to deliver outage notices. positioned across the Sea of Japan from North Korea. In July 1988 Cecil was promoted to a GS6 and Cecil, who grew up in the small East Texas town became the Office Manager for the Corps’ Misawa of Alto, enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1958 and Area Office. He performed these duties to ensure the spent his first ten years in various Security Service Resident Office functions were efficient, effective and (Intelligence) billets around the world, including in support of successful mission execution. At the time tours of duty in Hokkaido, Alaska, Germany and the workload was large and there were approximately Misawa. After attending school in Florida in 1974, 35 employees assigned to the office. The Misawa AO Cecil returned to Misawa in April 1975 and continued had just finished working on the bed-down projects serving there until he retired as a Senior Master for the newly arrived F-16s. Other MILCON projects Sergeant in 1986. Reflecting on his career in the Air included hanger construction and fuel tank farms. Force Hahn said “I really liked my job, especially at During his 28 years in the Air Force, Cecil spent Misawa,” adding understatedly, “I was pretty good at 18 in Misawa. “I didn’t see me exceeding that with it, too.” the Army. But, May of this year will be 22 years at When Cecil retired from the Air Force in 1986 he Misawa with the Army,” he said. had already decided he wanted to remain in Japan. see Hahn, page 6 Bamboo Bridge, Jan.-March 2009 5 Hahn coaches, mentors Continued from page 5 Although Cecil has always been involved in the growth and modernization of Misawa AB, one of the things that he really misses is the old building the Misawa Resident Office (reduced from an Area Office in the mid ‘80’s) used to work out of. Misawa Resident Office personnel pictured in He spent a lot of his September 1998. Front row: Renay Hankins, free time landscaping, Karen Woods, Dorinda Won, Valentino Gutierrez, making the grounds Takashi Sasaki, Cecil Hahn and Shinichi look good. Now with Maruyama. Back row: Naomi Araya, Charles the new building they Truesdell, Eulis Moss and Gary Simpson. are sharing with the Resident Office has evolved over many years, from Cecil Hahn’s photo from Air Force Base Civil the construction boom times during the Cold War his 1974 Florida driver Engineers, the “homey” in the 1980’s through the growth in Host Nation license issued before he feeling is lost. “I liked Construction, to a steady workload of U.S. Funded and returned to Misawa.