III Marine Expeditionary Force and Marine Corps Bases Japan December 14, 2007 www.okinawa.usmc.mil Service members OPERATION GOODWILL earn title ‘American’ duty in the U.S. Armed Forces during the 29 countries represented War on Terrorism. The Executive Order allows active duty personnel serving on in mass naturalization or after Sept. 11, 2001, to immediately file for citizenship. ceremony on Camp Foster “I appreciate all the service that Presi- Pfc. Ryan Wicks dent Bush and the Marine Corps provided OKINAWA MARINE STAFF us,” said Lance Cpl. Alberto O. Jasso, a supply administration and operations CAMP FOSTER — Seventy-eight U.S. clerk with Headquarters Battalion, 3rd service members from 29 countries became Marine Division. American citizens in a naturalization cer- Before the order, a military service emony at the Camp Foster Theater Dec. 7. member had to complete one year of Maj. Gen. Mary Ann Krusa-Dossin, honorable service before qualifying to commanding general of Marine Corps file for citizenship. Base Camp Butler, spoke to the new “It took me six months from the time Americans during the ceremony. I applied for citizenship to become a “Today, 78 uniformed men and wom- citizen,” said Jasso, who is a native of en from 29 countries stand proud- Mexico. ly before friends, family and fellow As of October 1, 2004, members of the comrades in arms, having earned the U.S. Armed Forces do not pay a fee when rights and privileges of American filing for citizenship, according to the citizenship,” Krusa-Dossin said. “You Immigration and Nationality Act. are not entitled to these rights by the “Normally it would have cost me happenstance of your birth. You have hundreds of dollars to become an Amer- earned these rights because of your ican citizen, but instead I didn’t have to Lt. Gen. Richard C. Zilmer, commanding general of III willingness to serve in a time of war.” pay anything,” said Cpl. Juan B. Arvizu, Marine Expeditionary Force, hands out toys to children in July 3, 2002, President Bush signed a warehouse clerk with Headquarters Paranaque City, Philippines. III MEF Marines and sailors the Expedited Naturalization Executive Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, and a delivered about 18,000 pounds of food, clothes and toys to Order calling for the accelerated natural- native of Mexico. the country Dec. 8-10 during Operation Goodwill. ization of non-citizens serving on active SEE CITIZEN PG 6 SEE STORY PAGE 12 Photo by Lance Cpl. Corey A. Blodgett Base officials warn, ‘Heelys shoes are dangerous’ Lance Cpl. Daniel R. Todd cently raised concern among base and roller blades. It also requires Roller sneaker fad OKINAWA MARINE STAFF officials. that an approved helmet be worn Because of the concerns, base with them and recommends that proves hazardous; CAMP FOSTER, — Children wear- officials made a change to Ma- additional protective equipment ing shoes with built-in wheels are rine Corps Bases Japan Order be worn as well. seen zipping by in commissaries, P11240.1C, Nov. 14, which puts With the safety of the wearer new base order post exchanges and on streets “Heelys-type shoes worn in the in mind, medical officials from in Marine installations all over wheeled mode” in the same cat- U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa are requires helmets Okinawa, but the new fad has re- egory as skate boards, roller skates SEE HAZARD PG 6 MARINE CORPS FORCES JAPAN E-CLUB LUXURY AFGHANISTAN BOUND Construction begins on Foster’s new 3rd MarDiv Marines prepare for duty 2007 COMBINED FEDERAL caMPaiGN DE I 43,000 square foot Consolidated as Embedded Training Teams that 2006 contributions: $680,898.75 Enlisted Club during a Shinto will train and mentor leaders of the 2007 contributions to date: $671,172.47 ground-breaking ceremony. Afghan National Army’s 201st Corps. Percent contacted: 99.8% INS pg. 7 pg. 9 Numbers current as of Dec. 10, 2007 Okinawa Marine | NEWS | December 14, 2007 3 Camp LEJeune, N.C. 2nd Lt. Learlin J. Lejeune III (left), a Weapons Platoon Around the commander with 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment participates in physical training with his Marines Dec. 4. Lejeune is the great-great nephew of Lt. Gen. John A. Lejeune, according to family genealogy For more Marine Corps stories and photos, records. Photo by Pfc. visit http://www.marines.mil Casey Jones CorpS TAQaddum, IraQ | Combat Engineers with Marine Wing Support Squadron 272 inspect the frame of a new air traffic control tower Dec. 1. Photo by Sgt. Wayne Edmiston Pearl HarBor A Marine assigned to Camp Smith, Hawaii, presents arms across the bay from the USS Arizona Memorial during a joint U.S. Navy and National Park Service ceremony commemorating the 66th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. More than 2,500 guests attended the ceremony on board Naval Station Pearl USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) | Col. Douglas M. Stilwell, commanding officer of Harbor. Photo by the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), adds the Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Elisia Afghanistan Campaign Streamer to the unit colors as the MEU celebrated its 25th V. Gonzales anniversary aboard Kearsarge Dec. 8. Photo by Cpl. Peter R. Miller Okinawa Marine | OPINION & EDITORIAL | December 14, 2007 5 Drunk Driving: consequences of the law and beyond Provost Marshal’s Office under the influence, which is defined by a are lost or destroyed, it burns an irreparable blood alcohol content of .03 to .07. If caught mark into the lives of the victims and their Editor’s Note: The following is the third article driving while intoxicated, defined by a BAC families. in a four-part series providing information on of .08 and above, the penalties climb to five That’s why this holiday season we ask “Drunk and Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention years of confinement or ¥1,000,000. That’s a that you do your part to prevent drinking Campaign,” a joint endeavor of the Council steep price to pay just to save a few dollars and driving. The holidays are a time to come for Okinawa Protection and Police Services on taxi fare. To add insult to injury, you will together for festivity and goodwill. We as a (COPPS, made up of the seven U. S. Forces be charged again and face all of the afore- community can do our part to preserve this Japan Law Enforcement Agencies) along with mentioned penalties once you are transferred and prevent it from becoming a time of regret III MEF Safety, MCB Camp Butler Safety, and to military police custody. Additionally, and sorrow. MCCS. under the new Japanese law, anyone that knowingly provides you alcohol, allows you You’ve done it; despite the bombardment to drive after consuming alcohol or is your of information you’ve gotten and all of your passenger is subject to the same penalties as RULES TO PREVENT loved ones’ advice, you decided to get behind the driver. DRUNK DRIVING: the wheel after drinking. The price list grows and grows. Your career So what can happen now? is jeopardized or possibly ended. Your insur- 4 If you’re lucky, you might get stopped at ance premiums increase substantially. There 1 Don’t drink and drive. one of the many “Safe and Sober” checkpoints will be vehicle recovery and repair fees, and run by military police. If that’s the case, you you may miss time at work. This doesn’t only 2 Do everything you reasonably can look forward to being detained and trans- affect you. Your family will inevitably begin can to prevent others from drink- ported to the Provost Marshal’s Office, hav- to feel the drain too. ing and driving. ing your vehicle towed, and your command And those, believe it or not, are the best coming to get you after you’ve been processed. case scenarios. Some may disagree and argue 3 Don’t let yourself be a pas- Then, expect disciplinary action with loss “the best case scenario is where I get home senger in a vehicle driven by an of any multitude of privileges (starting with and nothing happens.” That may seem true to impaired driver. driving), and potentially including a loss of the offender, but for everybody else it opens pay and rank. the door to a future incident. 4 If you plan on drinking, desig- A little less lucky and you might get Consider the alternative outcomes. The nate a driver who will not con- stopped by one of the many Japanese police possibilities get real ugly, real quick. We’ve sume alcohol. on the prowl for offenders of the new and all heard the stories or seen the videos and very stiff Japanese drinking and driving pictures of the carnage one careless driver Remember: If you plan to drink, laws. You can be confined for up to three can create. That is where the price of drinking plan ahead! years or fined ¥500,000 if caught driving and driving really comes to bear. When lives CORRECTION Last week the Okinawa Marine incorrectly answered “yes” to the below question, citing the Marine Corps uniform order as the reference. The editors overlooked Marine Administrative Message 322/05, which updated the policy. The correct response is below. marine corps fact check HEADGEAR IN POVs When I’m in uniform, do I have to wear my cover while in a personally Q: owned vehicle (POV)? No. Wear of headgear in privately owned vehicles is not required. A: However, headgear will be worn in government vehicles on military bases and installations, except when doing so would present a hazard to safe driving. TO SUBMIT AN OPINION OR EDITORiaL, E-MaiL US AT [email protected] COMMANDING GENERAL Maj.