January 27, 2012
Okinawans are voicing their anger at Defense Minister Tanaka Naoki’s remark about U.S. military aircraft flying over an elementary school near the U.S. Futenma base.
When the defense minister observed the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station from a nearby hill during his visit to Okinawa’s Ginowan City on January 23, he said, “There are hardly any U.S. military helicopters flying just above the elementary school next to the base.”
At the Futenma base, the U.S. forces routinely conduct take-off and landing practices and circling flight training exercises with transport aircraft and helicopters. The U.S. military refuses to provide information about the number of take-offs and landings of military aircraft at the Futenma base for “operational reasons.” However, an Okinawa Defense Bureau’s document recording noise pollution at the Futenma base shows that the annual number of military aircraft take-offs and landings reaches more than 20,000.
All military aircraft arriving at and departing from the base fly very low over Futenma Daini Elementary School, located on the north side of the base runway.
The school carries out an annual emergency evacuation drill as preparation for potential U.S. military aircraft accidents.
The Japanese Communist Party Okinawa Prefectural Committee and the Prefectural Assembly members’ group on January 25 visited the Okinawa Defense Bureau to protest against the defense minister’s insensitive remark and urge the bureau to request the U.S. military to not fly over the school.
Responding like a U.S. forces public relations official, a bureau official said, “Without utilizing a flight path over the school, it would be impossible for U.S. military aircraft to take off from and land at the Futenma base.”
When the defense minister observed the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station from a nearby hill during his visit to Okinawa’s Ginowan City on January 23, he said, “There are hardly any U.S. military helicopters flying just above the elementary school next to the base.”
At the Futenma base, the U.S. forces routinely conduct take-off and landing practices and circling flight training exercises with transport aircraft and helicopters. The U.S. military refuses to provide information about the number of take-offs and landings of military aircraft at the Futenma base for “operational reasons.” However, an Okinawa Defense Bureau’s document recording noise pollution at the Futenma base shows that the annual number of military aircraft take-offs and landings reaches more than 20,000.
All military aircraft arriving at and departing from the base fly very low over Futenma Daini Elementary School, located on the north side of the base runway.
The school carries out an annual emergency evacuation drill as preparation for potential U.S. military aircraft accidents.
The Japanese Communist Party Okinawa Prefectural Committee and the Prefectural Assembly members’ group on January 25 visited the Okinawa Defense Bureau to protest against the defense minister’s insensitive remark and urge the bureau to request the U.S. military to not fly over the school.
Responding like a U.S. forces public relations official, a bureau official said, “Without utilizing a flight path over the school, it would be impossible for U.S. military aircraft to take off from and land at the Futenma base.”
