Japan Press Weekly

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2011 May 25 - 31 [US FORCES]

US forces participate in more disaster drills in localities

More and more local governments in the Tokyo metropolitan area have invited the U.S. forces in Japan to participate in their disaster drills.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government became the first local government in 2001 to use U.S. military facilities for emergency drills by conducting such events at the U.S. Yokota Air Base and the U.S. military helicopter base in central Tokyo.

In Tokyo’s disaster drills held last year, the amphibious transport dock ship USS Denver from the U.S. Navy Sasebo Base played the role of transporting aid supplies, and helicopters of the U.S. Air force, Navy and Army conducted a training exercise to airlift relief goods from the Yokota base.

Since 2007, the U.S. Navy has joined in the disaster drills organized by the Kanagawa Prefectural government. The U.S. Army began participating in the drills in 2008.

In preparation for its comprehensive disaster-preparedness drill scheduled for August 28, the Yokohama City government on May 10 agreed with the U.S. forces to the use of the U.S. Naval Support Facility Kamiseya and the participation of the U.S. Navy.

These local governments’ moves comply with the U.S. military desire to use its humanitarian support and relief capabilities in natural disasters as a guise to expand its influence in the Asia-Pacific region and to strengthen its partnership with allies in the region.

In the U.S. 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) published after the Indian Ocean tsunami (December 2004) and Hurricane Katrina (August 2005), the U.S. military clearly stated that it will actively engage in humanitarian aid and disaster relief activities when major natural disasters occur anywhere in the world. The objective of this policy is to swiftly restore the stabilization of disaster-hit countries in order to protect U.S. interests.

The U.S. 2010 QDR specifies the U.S. forces’ intention to mobilize its allies in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, for its operations providing humanitarian assistance and relief.