VOLUME 49 NUMBER 3 MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, JAPAN JANUARY 23, 2004

INSIDE

www.iwakuni.usmc.mil

IWAKUNI WEATHERTodayShowersHigh: 44

SaturdayRainHigh: 44

SundayRainHigh: 46

Facilities in league of their ownStation Facilities becomes first in theMarine Corps to go paperless.

Page 3

Mizuho Highland adventure for allSnow mountain just a short drive fromthe Station provides fun for the wholefamily.

Page 8

A growing problem has been plaguing the Station Ex-change for some time now and officials here are not taking itlying down.

In the past month alone, nine different cases of thieveryhave robbed residents here of goods and services providedfor them by the MCX.

To combat the alarming numbers, Marine Corps Commu-nity Services Internal Control officer Florine Van Lieu andother Station officials are taking a proactive approach to ceasethe growing problem.

“Last year there was a reported seven cases of theft at theMCX for the entire year. We have a greater number this yearin one month, so obviously we will be doing a better job ofsecurity now on,” said Van Lieu who has just taken the jobover. “We don’t wish to inconvenience customers, but wehave to tighten our security or the ramifications will be big.”

The consequences Van Lieu refers to is the fact that agreat deal of money made by the MCX directly comes back tothe Station and if the MCX is losing money then that willultimately affect the community as a whole.

Exchange gets tough with thievesCPL. DAVE BONI

Combat Correspondent“The PX is here to generate money for the Marine Corps

and if we are losing money the prices will go up. That’s notfair to residents here,” said Van Lieu.

Besides the moral aspects involved with stealing, Stationinspector Maj. John Forti said family members caught will nothave the second chance offered to them before.

With strict guidance from Marine Corps Base Japan Order5800.6A, the minimum punishment for a dependant caughtstealing is a one-year suspension of identification card anddriving privileges for adults, and if the incident occurred offStation the driving license is revoked for the remainder oftheir stay in Japan.

Juveniles ages 13-18 caught stealing will be given a one-year suspension of ID card, 80 hours of community service,six months in quarters and revocation of driving privileges orthe opportunity to obtain a license for the remainder of thesponsor’s tour. If the incident occurred away from base thejuvenile will be given a one-year restriction to base.

Children 12 and under caught stealing will receive a one-year suspension of ID card, 60 hours of community service,will not be able to obtain a drivers license in Japan for eight

see EXCHANGE Page 4

The Fighting Phoenix of Elec-tronic Attack Squadron 128 were hardat work on deployment again. Cur-rently, the entire squadron is sta-tioned at Marine Corps Air StationIwakuni, Japan. This has not beenthe case for most of the three-monthdeployment. The squadron’s trav-els have taken them to Andersen AirForce Base, Guam, Naval Air StationAtsugi, Japan and Misawa Air ForceBase, Japan.

VAQ-128 started with a three-week stay on Guam - the “Pearl ofthe Pacific”, where they participatedin Cope North 2004. Cope North wasa mass exercise consisting of US EA-6B’s, F-15C’s, F/A-18D’s, KC-135’sand an E-3, as well as, Japanese De-fense Force F-4E’s and an E707.

The exercise allowed US servicemembers and Japanese forces to flytogether in a simulated defense ofJapan.

When asked about his experi-ences in Guam Lt. j.g. Jason ‘Leno’Saura said, “It was difficult to get

Fighting Phoenix enjoys300 miles of deployment

LT. J.G. TRE COSTELLO

LT. J.G. CHRISTINA LAUGHLIN

Electronic Attack Squadron 128

see PHOENIX Page 4

Marine Wing Support Squadron171 executed a variety of training ex-ercises last week throughout the Sta-tion.

Penny Lake Field was the hub ofoperations, buzzing with perimetersecurity, and boasting a medical fa-cility and chow hall.

“The intent of the week’s exer-cise was to train in a variety of sce-narios that exercised MWSS-171’sability to conduct AGS operations ina dynamic, ever-changing environ-ment,” said Capt. Sean C. Killeen,MWSS-171 operations officer. “The highlights of the exercisecentered around the Rapid RunwayRepair,” noted Killeen.

The triple R method is used tolocate dents and bomb craters in anairstrip. Marines determine what needsto be repaired for the use of incomingand outgoing aircraft and fill the holesusing the necessary triple R fill kit.

“With the Station’s cooperation, theEngineer Company dug a 20-foot crateron a relatively unused portion of the

runway, where we conducted steps nec-essary to rapidly repair a runway in theevent of an attack,” said Killeen.

In addition, the Marines placed apartial Tactical Airfield Fuel DispensingSystem on the taxiway and refueled anAV-8B Harrier, presenting a rare oppor-

tunity to actually lay in a site.According to Killeen, the opportu-

nity to set up a base camp was perfectlyfacilitated at Penny Lake Field. “Theestablishment of a full-up operational

America’s Squadron seesaction in training exercise

LANCE CPL. DAVID REVERE

Combat Correspondent

see SQUADRON Page 4

Lance Cpl. David Revere

Pfc. Gary Wayneshatcer, combat engineer, provides perimeter securityduring a crater fill operation executed by Marines from Marine WingSupport Squadron 171.

Commanding OfficerCol. Dave Darrah

Public Affairs OfficerCapt. Stewart T. Upton

Public Affairs ChiefMaster Gunnery Sgt.

Constance Dillard

Press ChiefCpl. Dave Boni

Operations ChiefStaff Sgt. Brenda L. Varnadore

Combat CorrespondentsCpl. Robert Wynkoop

Lance Cpl. Giovanni LobelloLance Cpl. David P. Revere

Lance Cpl. Ruben D. Calderon

Information/EditorialSpecialist

Yukiko Mitsui

“This weekly newspaper is anauthorized publication for membersof the military services stationedoverseas and their families. Its con-tents do not necessarily reflect theofficial views of the U.S. Govern-ment, the Department of Defense orthe U.S. Marine Corps, and does notimply endorsement thereof.”

Editorial content is edited, pre-pared and provided by the PublicAffairs Office of Marine Corps AirStation Iwakuni, Japan.

All queries concerning newsand editorial content should be di-rected to the Public Affairs Office,Building 1, Room 216, MCASIwakuni, Japan. Call 253-5551.

PSC 561 Box 1868FPO AP 96310-0029

Phone 253-5551Fax 253-5554

NEWS BRIEFS

PAGE 2 OPINIONTORII TELLER, JANUARY 23, 2004 NEWS PAGE 3TORII TELLER, JANUARY 23, 2004

The Torii Teller wel-comes Letter to the Editorsubmissions. Letters are theopinion of the writer only.Submissions can be editedfor clarity and space. Let-ters can be dropped off atthe Public Affairs Office orsent via e-mail to bonidw@iwakuni.usmc.mil or dillardcs@iwakuni.usmc.mil.

“I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today” isa phrase that we are somewhat familiar with from thePopeye days of our youth. Unfortunately this concept isstill being applied today as we prepare performanceevaluations.

One of my responsibilities here at the PersonnelManagement Support Branch (MMSB), is to educate the“masses” on performance evaluation. The masses beingthe 103,000 sergeants and above who receive fitnessreports.

Probably the most openly and often discussed issue Iencounter is that of the Reporting Senior (RS) not provid-ing a copy of the signed report to the Marine Reported on(MRO). Providing the MRO a signed copy of their fitnessreport is the easiest portion of the performance evaluationprocess, right? Yet, it is one of the more neglected require-ments I continue to hear about from the “masses.”

Paragraph 4013.3 and Appendix B.5, Section J.1 of MCOP1610.7E, Performance Evaluation System (PES), bothpertaining to the Reporting Senior Certification, reads, “… Ihave provided a signed copy of this report to the MarineReported on.”

This particular action seems to be removed from thefitness report process a lot of times. Notice I said a lot oftimes, not all the time. This is similar to writing checks withinsufficient funds. The signature on a personal checkindicates a promise of good faith. The RS’s signature in

Guide to correct fitness reports

It isn’t often my husband and Iboth agree on seeing a movie together.Anxious to be on a date, just the twoof us enjoying an adult movie with aplot, we both agreed on “Kill Bill.”Our children begged to go, but wesaid, “no.”

Earlier we saw “The HauntedMansion” and spent time with themeating popcorn, sucking on soda andjumping at every ghost. When it cameto “Kill Bill,” we laid down the law. Itwas not a kids movie, we had to sayno.

Within the first ten minutes of thisfilm, a pregnant woman was shot pointblank in the head. This is the mildestpoint of the movie as it continues witha “Let the Bodies Hit the Floor” theme.Now, I have been to some very violentfilms and some with a lot of saltylanguage in my time. I rememberturning seventeen and going to seeEddie Murphy’s “Raw.” I even boldlyrepeated the dialog to my friends,careful never around grown ups forfear it would get back to Calvin andJanette Baker, my parents.

Even I sometimes need an actionmovie to break up the cycle of life inJapan. For ninety minutes I canbecome the gun-toting villain, or thedoubt-ridden hero trying to save the

Kill parents not Billday. Saddened as I may be when themovie ends, I am happy not to live mylife like those on the screen.

After “Kill Bill” was over I realizedI didn’t want to be any of the womenin the movie, even though UmaThurman’s character did have a veryunique name. I was even happier thatmy husband and I had stuck to oursword and refused to bring thechildren along for the show.

The true surprise wasn’t themovie, (I knew from critic’s reviews itwas extremely violent). The surprisecame when the house lights came onand two children walked right by myhusband and me.

Now, I like to think I’m a pretty OKparent. I even believe from time totime that I am an adult, which is scary.I like a little testosterone in a movieevery now and then — just a little‘bulk up’ to get me wanting to box like“Rocky.” But, I am stable enough toknow that a movie is just that, a movie.I don’t like to question other’sparenting skills, but kids may notalways be able make that determina-tion. Kids should not have been atthis movie, period.

This isn’t the first time I have seenthis. I also recall seeing S.W.A.T., andthree tiny kids sat beside me. The first10 minutes of that movie was areenactment of a Los Angeles shootout. Eyes wide, popcorn on an

assembly line to the mouth, thosechildren watched, drinking even asshells hit the ground, like liquidnourishment.

What puzzles me more is that theratings in movies haven’t changedmuch since I was a child, with theexception of PG-13. Even still, I watcha PG-13 movie with my childrenanyway. I will not say, “I haven’t sentmy children to the movies by theirlonesome to see a PG-13 movie.

As one half of the parenting forcein my home, I try to do the right thingfrom time to time and say, “no”.Maybe the parents of those childrenshould do the same.

SGT. MAJ. DOUG CASTLE

Personnel Management Support Branch -30

CASSANDRA B. ASHCRAFT

Letter to the Editor

Section J indicates a promise of good faith to the MRO, theReviewing Officer (RO), and to Headquarters, Marine Corpsthat the RS has provided a copy of the completed fitnessreport to the MRO.

Another area that seems to be challenging is SectionA.1.d - the social security number of the MRO. I am surethere are a plethora of reasons as to why the SSN is acontinual discrepancy on fitness reports starting with theMRO. Maybe the MRO isn’t providing the correct SSN tothe RS on the Marine Reported on Worksheet.

Maybe the command review process isn’t beingconducted. Even worse, when the RS provides a copy tothe MRO they don’t catch the disparity.

For instance, there is no such SSN as “123456789,” yetwe still receive reports with that number in the SSN block.Moreover, there are no two Marines with the same SSN, yetwe continue to receive reports with the same SSN for theMRO and the RS, or the RS and the RO, or better yet, theMRO, RS and the RO. “This number is the most criticaladministrative item of information entered on the form. Anincorrect or missing SSN will preclude or delay the entry ofthe report into the Marine’s records.” (Chapter 4, trust me.)

If there are ever any questions pertaining to the fitnessreporting process, do not hesitate to give us a call (DSN278-3993 / Commercial 703-784-3993). All of our numbersare on our Web site at www.mmsb.usmc.mil. If you findyourself aboard Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Va., stop by2008 Elliot Road and take 20 minutes to get the tour andwalk away with a current copy of your Official MilitaryPersonnel File and Master Brief Sheet.

Facilities now has a more expedientmanner of submitting work requests andthis new process allows anyone in theIwakuni community to submit work re-quest directly to their facilities represen-tative.

Iwakuni’s facilities are first in theMarine Corps to be going to the newpaperless method, easing the workloadfor all parties involved.

Since Jan. 14 everyone has been ableto submit work request online. This pro-cedure can be done by going to https://intranet.iwakuni.usmc.mil/FAC/ or bythe Iwakuni Web site.

The new paperless procedure hasbeen tested internally to ensure that thiswill in fact be beneficial.

“We started using this techniqueJan. 14 internally and already we have

Facilities in league of their ownsaved a lot of unneces-sary paperwork alongwith the actual paperthat is used to make allthe requests with,” saidNavy Lt. Isaac P. Henry,Facilities operations of-ficer. “Tracking onlinework requests are easierto track because theidentification number isthe exact one that wehave. Contrary to thepaper requests thathave their own identifi-cation number com-pared from whatMaximo assigns.”

Henry commented about the addedbenefits of having this new program.“Having an Internet based systemmakes the transactions just that much

quicker,” said Henry. “As soon as thesubmit button is pressed the informa-tion is sent and can be retrieved.”

For those curious how the maximosystem works there will be a training

Lance Cpl. David Revere

Navy Lt. Isaac P. Henry, Facilities operationsofficer, finds greater ease and organization withthe new online system for receiving and track-ing work orders.

Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 4 ar-rived on Station Jan. 20 to take over the void left byNavy Electronic Attack Squadron 128.

The Seahawks left their stomping grounds of Ma-rine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. en route tosupporting operations in the Pacific Command. TheSeahawks come here equipped with approximately 273personnel as well as five EA-6B Prowl-ers.

For Seahawkscommanding of-ficer Lt. Col.Marc L.Magram,the de-p l o y -ment marks hissecond time here,but first as thecommanding of-ficer.

“This is a greatopportunity forVMAQ-4 to helpsupport real-worldoperations in sup-port of MarineA i r c r a f tGroup12, 1stM a r i n eA i r c r a f tWing andPACOM,” hesaid.

The Seahawks are one offour Prowler squadrons in the Ma-rine Corps. The EA-6B Prowler is the U.S.Marine Corps’ tactical jamming aircraft. It joined thefleet in January 1971 and has gone through four majorupgrades. Updates to the EA-6B systems have kept

Seahawks jam into IwakuniCPL. DAVE BONI

Combat Correspondentthe Prowler prepared for dynamic threats and expand-ing mission roles.

The primary mission of the EA-6B Prowler is toconduct electronic attack by locating and jammingenemy radars and communications. It can also fireAGM 88 High Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM)to destroy detected radar sites. The secondary mis-sion includes electronic surveillance.

While VMAQ-4 will be gearing up for future de-ployments, the fact that they are in another coun-

try with plenty of sights to see doe notescapethem.

“About 75 per-cent of

V M A Q - 4are makingtheir firsttrip toJ a p a n

and everyoneis very excited,”

said Magram. “Weare going to missour families, butthis is why wejoined the MarineCorps.”One of the many ontheir first trip to Ja-pan, Cpl. Ben-jamin Flake

couldn’twait tointeract

with mem-bers of his

host country.“I am very excited

to learn about the Japanese cul-ture,” said the Tactical Electronic Re-

connaissance Processing Evaluation System analy-sis. “I’m hoping to learn as much Japanese as I canand I heard the Kintai Bridge is pretty nice so maybe Iwill make a stop there as well.”

session devoted to maximo training, newissues and refresher training for facili-ties representatives.

“On Jan. 28 there will be two train-ing sessions the facilities representa-tives are required to attend,” said Henry.“There will be two different classesscheduled for this day one at 9 a.m. andthe other at 1 p.m. At these times notonly the facilities representatives canattend, but anyone interested in learn-ing about Maximo or how to submitwork requests via Maximo may attend.”

Submitting work requests can bemade easier by sending it to the rightdepartment. From there the facilities rep-resentative will revise the request anddecide any further action.

“My advice for everyone is to sub-mit work requests electronically, unlessthe value of the damaged property isless than $500 or less than 16 hours oflabor,” concluded Henry.

LANCE CPL. GIOVANNI LOBELLO

Combat Correspondent

Editors note: The followingrating’s are guidelines forparents when they allow theirchildren to watch a movie:PG-13: Parents stronglycautioned. Some material maynot be suitable for children.Parents should be careful lettingtheir younger children watch.R:Under 17 requiresaccompanying parent or adultguardian. The film rated containsadult material. Parents are urgedto learn more about the moviebefore allowing their children tosee it.

SEALED BID SALE

Defense Reutilization and MarketingOffice Iwakuni’s next local sealed bid salewill start Monday. Property on sale canand should be inspected at DRMO fromMonday to Wednesday. Make sure toinspect the property prior to bidding. Bidmust be received no later than Thursday,8 a.m. Property on sale includes furniture,ADP equipment, military clothing, exerciseequipment, iron, machinery and scrap.Call 253-3982 or 253-4089 for details.

PTO SILENT AUCTION

Matthew C. Perry ElementarySchool PTO’s 4th Annual Silent Auctionwill be held Feb. 20 at Club Iwakuniballroom. Preview is at 5 p.m. Biddingis 5:30-6:30 p.m. All donations will bepaid after awarding bids are announced.To submit a donation, contact TerrieStintsman at 253-2402 or Jen Stewartat 253-2490.

SAFETY TRAINING SCHEDULE

The FY04 2nd quarter Safety TrainingSchedule is available on the Safety CenterWeb site, https://intranet.iwakuni.usmc.mil/StationSafety/Safety/. Point of contactfor class sign up contact Mr. Yoneda atyonedacl.jp@iwakuni.usmc.mil withattendee’s name, rank and unit.

PAGE 4 FEATURETORII TELLER, JANUARY 23, 2004 FEATURE PAGE 5TORII TELLER, JANUARY 23, 2004

EXCHANGE from Page 1

years and be restricted to quarters forfour months. If the incident was com-mitted off Station the child will be re-stricted to the Station for one year aswell. Their sponsor will also accompanythem while they perform community ser-vice for the entire duration of the ser-vice.

“People really need to think aboutwhat there doing before they steal. Is a$15 item really worth the consequencesto you and your family?” asked Forti.“There are no second chances anymoreand if you steal you are affecting youand your families ability to enjoy Japanfor what a great experience it is.”

SQUADRON from Page 1

base camp at Penny Lake site enabled many of thesquadron’s additional capability sets to be tested, suchas the provision of power, the production of potable wa-ter, the establishment of an active field mess, and the exer-cise of an active defense via a standing security force,”said Killeen.

In the midst of the camp, several Marines gathered onWednesday afternoon around a large, mobile power gen-erator to train on it’s operation and maintenance.

“We enjoy providing power for the whole camp,” saidSgt. Elmer Chavez, MWSS-171utilities platoon electrician.“We get out of our normal environment and get everyonesome training.”

Chavez appreciated the opportunity to see how thesquadron worked holistically. “Everything is related in acombat environment,” he said. “It’s important to see

The art of making porcelain was first perfectedby the people of which ancient civilization? Ques-tions like these were directed toward students atMatthew Perry Elementary School during the annualgeography bee Jan. 9.

Geoffrey Fogle, a fifth-grade student, won theschool-level competition of the National GeographicBee and a chance at a $25,000 college scholarship.

The school-level bee, at which students an-swered oral questions on geography, was the firstround in the 16th annual competition. The bee wassponsored by the National Geographic Society andInternational Nederlanden Group Americas, one ofthe world’s largest integrated financial servicescompanies.

Locally, Amy Jecheva, Matthew Perry Elementary

Student stings competition in geography beeLANCE CPL. DAVID REVERE

Combat CorrespondentSchool’s gifted education teacher, organizedthe competition. “This program was startedhere to encourage enthusiasm and interest inlearning about the world,” she said. “Itencourages students to explore countries andcultures beyond what they may currentlyknow.”

The kickoff for this year’s bee was the weekof Nov. 17, with thousands of schools aroundthe United States and in the five U.S. territoriesparticipating. The Matthew Perry ElementarySchool winners, including Geoffrey, will nowtake a written test. Up to 100 of the top scorersin each state will be eligible to compete in theirstate bee April 2.

Here on the Station, other grades wereinvited to watch the competition in orderinspire further interest. “The fact that all of theclasses were invited to watch caused a lot of

excitement,” said Jecheva. “Next year, Ihope to hold a geography club after schoolso that even more interested students canbe studying year-round.” The National Geographic Society willprovide an all-expenses-paid trip to Wash-ington D.C. for state champions andteacher-escorts to participate in the nationalchampionship on May 25 and 26. The first-place national winner will receive a $25,000college scholarship and a lifetime member-ship in the Society. “Each of the finalists should be proudbecause they represented their class as theperson who knows the most about geogra-phy,” said Jecheva. “They inspire other

where you fit in the big picture.”“This week MWSS-171 trained as a team and, as a result,

when it comes time to execute, whether in additional trainingscenarios or in support of actual contingencies, they will beable to effectively operate together to accomplish the mis-sions of defending, sustaining, and regenerating damagedairfields for MAG-12,” said Killeen.

Pfc. Gary Wayneshatcer, 171’ combat engineer, enjoyedbeing part of the repair team for an airfield crater. “This willteach me how to be more efficient in planning out the opera-tions of what I have to do in the future,” he said.

Besides practical training, the exercise proved to be a posi-tive experience overall.

“I pretty much joined the Marines to go places and dothings that I wouldn’t be able to normally do,” saidWayneshatcer. “This gets me out of the barracks and doingsomething I enjoy.”

PHOENIX from Page 1

over the language barrier,but it was very interestingand rewarding workingwith the Japanese.”

Two weeks after VAQ-128 returned to MCASIwakuni from Guam theydetached two jets to the fro-zen tundra of Misawa, Ja-pan. Over the next twoweeks, aircrew from VAQ-128 workedwith F-16CJ aircrew in a simulated war.“Misawa was a great opportunity for usto work with our Air Force SEAD breth-

Students from all classes were invited to attendthe geography bee, held Jan. 9.

Photos courtesy of Matthew C. Perry Elementary School

Geoffrey Fogle, a fifth-grade student at MatthewC. Perry Elementary School, was the winner ofthis year’s geography bee.

students and are an example to them.”Anyone can brush up on geography with the

GeoBee Challenge, an online geography quiz atwww.nationalgeographic.com/geobee, which posesfive new questions a day from previous bees.

ren,” said Navy Lt. Albert ‘Goose’ Geisdetachment officer in charge, “Operat-ing in a new environment is always chal-lenging, but provided us with some great

training.” Lt. j.g. Christina ‘ATIS’Laughlin expressed her appre-ciation to her superior by say-ing, “It was great to have the jun-ior officers more involved in theplanning of each large force ex-ercise.” During the Misawa detach-ment, VAQ-128 sent a mainte-nance detachment from Iwakunito Atsugi to facilitate a jet ex-change with VAQ-136. VAQ-128

will leave four of their five Block 89Aaircraft in Japan and return to the stateswith all four of the Gauntlet’s Block 89aircraft.

Throughout the detachment, VAQ-128 maintenance crews have done anoutstanding job, working around theclock to keep the jets flying. “We defi-nitely had our work cut out for us,” re-marked Chief Petty Officer J.J. Johnson.“Our maintenance crew definitely outdid themselves during the last twoweeks.”

While the deployment to the FarEast has been rich and rewarding, themen and women of the Fighting Phoe-nix team look forward to returning toWhidbey Island and the warm embraceof their families.

At Marine Corps CommunityServices, a variety of opportunitiesawaits service members andcivilians with every type ofschedule and level of experience.

“If you’re looking for some-thing to do to kill time, you mightas well be making some moneywhile your having fun,” saidDoriann Gellar, MCCS marketingofficer. “We are a fun place towork. We’ve got a lot of great,motivated managers and it ispossible to actually enjoy working.Of course at the end of the day you’ve got a littlemore money in your pocket.”

“What we’re looking for is people that are

Cash, fun await Station residentsSTORY AND PHOTOS BY

LANCE CPL. DAVID REVERE

Combat Correspondent

energetic and want to serve theirfamilies and community,” said Master Sgt. JamesJackson, MCCS operations chief. “We want people

to work not because they’re forced to work, butbecause they want to. If you’re interested inworking and there’s something you like to do, weprobably have something out there for you,” saidJackson.Marines considering a career after the Corps mayfind opportunity here to gain valuable experience.“Aside from the fact that it gives you somepocket change, this gives you an opportunity tobroaden your work base,” said Gellar. “Thismight be something that you enjoy doing afterthe Marine Corps, and of course you can getexperience on your resume.”According to Gellar, the opportunity is there foreveryone, not just Marines. “We also like toencourage our family members that while they’rehere, this is a great way to keep they’re skillssharp,” she said. “We have many benefits forour full-time employees, including a 401k plan.”“For the housewife who wants to put in a fewhours while the kids are at school, we’ve got aposition for you,” said Jackson. “We’ve gotsomething that fits everybody.”Job opportunities have exploded recently due tothe vision of MCCS to expand and provide moreservices to residents.“It has always been a challenge for us here at

Photo courtesy of VAQ-128

EA-6B Prowlers stream through the air over Guam.

“The right to vote is one of ourmost important civil liberties,” saidMaj. Gen. Stephen T. Johnson, MarineCorps senior service voting represen-tative. “Moreover, for Americans,voting is an obligation that accompa-nies and protects the freedoms weenjoy.”

For overseas citizens, the right tovote is accommodated by the Uni-formed and Overseas Citizens Absen-tee Voting Act, although the proce-dures and deadlines to vote absenteevary from state to state.

According to Maj. Stewart, theStation’s voting assistance officer, thefirst step in the absentee voting

Voting made possible for American citizens in IwakuniLANCE CPL. DAVID REVERE

Combat Correspondentprocess is to pick up a federal postcard application from a votingassistance officer. All states andterritories accept the FPCA as anapplication for registration andabsentee ballot.

Specific information on applyingfor absentee registration and a ballotfor each state is contained in theVoting Assistance Guide. Eachinstallation’s VAO has a copy of theguide to assist citizens in completingtheir FPCA.

According to the Federal VotingAssistance Program Web site, electionofficials should receive the FPCA atleast forty-five days before electionday to allow ample time to process therequest and mail the ballot.

The Federal Voting Assistance

Program recommends submitting theFPCA in January of each year.

If a citizen sends out the FPCAwithin the deadlines for elections anddoes not receive a ballot from theirlocal election official, they can visittheir VAO to receive a Federal Write-InAbsentee Ballot. That ballot can bereturned to the local election official tomeet the state or territorial deadline forcounting.

The FVAP Web site, http://www.fvap.gov/index.html, is home to avariety of information about votingand elections. The Web site containsgeneral information on absenteevoting, including a list of frequentlyasked questions.

It also contains an on-line versionof the FPCA, which is accepted by

almost every state. All FVAP publica-tions can be found on the site, as wellas links to state election sites.

Station residents can contact theirVAOs through their individual units.Headquarters and Headquarters,Squadron, Sgt. Rebekah Raner, 253-5149; Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Lt.Jose Hernandez, 253-6997; MarineAviation Logistics Squadron 12, Capt.Kevin Doherty, 253-5270; MarineFighter Attack Squadron 212, Capt.Donald Nolan, 253-4079; CombatService Support Division 36, ChiefWarrant Officer James Kemp, 253-6059; Marine Wing Support Squadron171, Staff Sgt. Danilo Palma, 253-3614;Branch Medical Clinic, Petty Officer3rd class Carlo Casares, 253-6577.

Angelica Claudio, Marine Corps Exchange se-nior sales associate, assists a customer from theservice desk.

Marine Corps Exchange Counter Manager Rashida Sparkstakes pride in the cosmetics display in the center of thestore.

Norio Takase, employed with the maintenancedepartment, builds a new shelf as part of theSeven-Day store expansion project.

Iwakuni to get enough people to work for us.” Gellarsaid. “In the past two years, we have expandedservices. Once we expand services, we need peopleto run those facilities. So our labor shortage isperhaps exacerbated as we try to provide more andbetter services to the community.” Gellar pointed out that having fewer workers tomaintain the desired level of service not only affectsthe quality, but also drains employees and puts astrain on managers trying to provide the same levelof service with fewer resources. “An example might be if you go to the food courtand there’s not someone there right away to takeyour order,” said Gellar. “We want to have someonestanding by rather than have our customers have tocall for someone. But we just simply don’t have thepeople to man all those facilities. We don’t want toclose any of those facilities. In fact, we want toexpand the food court.”

Continuous expansion signifies that MCCS willalways be hiring. “We have continuously openvacancies,” said Gellar. “The exchange has vacan-cies for cashiers and sales clerks. Those are open allthe time. They’re not special postings - anythingfrom a senior sales associate to food servicesworkers.”

“If you want an application, you can apply,usually on the spot, on the second deck of theCrossroads Mall in the personnel office,” said Gellar.

PAGE 6 FEATURETORII TELLER, JANUARY 23, 2004

“Are you ready?”“Yes, father.”“Here we go. One, two, three.”These are words from a dialogue

between Takeo Yoshida, 42, and hisyoungest daughter, Kimiko, 7, mo-ments before she ventures on her owndown an icy mountainside.

Kimiko, without any fear in hereyes, slides down the snowy mountainon skis. Ten yards down, she falls,which cause icicles from the ground todance above her.

For a brief second or two there issilence. Yoshida has a blank look onhis face, but does not seemed worriedabout his daughter.

Kimiko rises from the white blanketthat surrounds her and erupts inlaughter.

Yoshida, along with his wife,Yuriko, hover over to their daughterand brush off the snow she is coveredin. Kimiko continues to laugh.

This is one of the many events that

Mizuho Highland adventure for allSTORY AND PHOTOS BY

LANCE CPL. RUBEN D. CALDERON

Combat Correspondent

occur at Mizuho Highland Mountainand snow resort in the ShimanePrefecture.

Thousands of people from differentprefectures around travel to the resortfor skiing and snowboarding.

The resort offers two differentlandscapes to snowboard and ski.

One is the Highland side, whichoffers three different courses for alllevels of experience. Downhill slopes, a50-yard half-pipe course, rails to grindon, and a race circuit are a few of themany attractions at the Highland side.

Five dining facilities are alsoavailable at the Highland.

The other part of the resort, theValley side, offers more of a brush-upcourse for snowboarders and skiers. Butit is also for inexperienced riders as well.

It offers five eating establishments.Ski lifts travel throughout the mountaingoing from the smallest peak, 492meters, to the highest point of 1,212meters.

“Mizuho Highland is located twoto three hours from Iwakuni,” saidBobby Dillard, IronWorks Gymrecreation director.

To get to the resort from MarineCorps Air Station Iwakuni take SanyoExpressway northbound to HiroshimaJunction. Take the Hiroshima KitaJunction. Proceed to ChugokuExpressway. At Chiyoda Junction,take the Hamada Expressway. ExitMizuho I.C.

Make an immediate right and 10minutes later you will be at the resort.

The hours of operations forMizuho Highland Mountain andSnow Resort are Monday throughFriday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays,Sundays and holidays, from 7 a.m. to5 p.m.

Night skiing and all night skiing isavailable from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. and10:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day.

Due to accidents, MizuhoHighland offers ski insurance for 200yen. The insurance covers up to$250,000 in case of any accident.When buying insurance the personmust directly ask for it.

The price for a day pass is 5,500yen for adults and 3,900 yen forchildren. Afternoon passes are 4,200for adults and 3,000 for children.

Night passes and all night passesare 3,500 and 4,800 yen for adults, and3,000 and 3,800 yen for children.

The passes offer a day, or night, ofpure joy said Yoshida, avid skier.

“We come every two weeks in thetimes of winter,” said Yoshida of himand his family.

“I barely started teaching Kimikohow to ski a month ago. She’s gettingthe hang of it and is really enjoyingherself,” added Yoshida.

Several families come to the resortas well as groups of friends of all ages.

“We come here all the time,” saidHiroshi Tanaka. Tanaka, along withfive friends from school, always comesto Mizuho from Osaka because it istheir favorite place to snowboard.

“This place has something foreverybody. My girlfriend doesn’tknow how to snowboard that good sowe go to the Highland side and that’swhere I show her some moves,”Tanaka said.

Whether you are an experiencedskier or an average snowboarderMizuho Highland offers the best ofboth worlds, added Tanaka.

The ski lift travels throughout the Highland mountainside taking snowboardersand skiers to different parts of the resort.

Hiroshi Tanaka gets big air off a ramp made of snow atthe Highland mountainside.

A trio of friends race down on snowboards in a friendly com-petition. The three friends are experienced snowboarderswho frequently visit Mizuho Highland mountain and snowresort.

16-year-old Shin Yamamoto carves down a rough, icy part of the Valley mountainside.

People snowboard by themselves and still enjoy them-selves like Michael Walker.

A skier hits a jump and gets some air during a runon the Black Diamond Jan. 19.

PAGE 8 FEATURETORII TELLER, JANUARY 23, 2004 CLASSIFIED PAGE 9TORII TELLER, JANUARY 23, 2004

FRIDAY

11 a.m./5 p.m. The Rescuers (G)2 p.m./8 p.m. Tumbleweeds (PG-13)

11 p.m./5 a.m. City By The Sea (R)2 a.m. Love And Action In Chicago (R)

SATURDAY

11 a.m./5 p.m. Price Of Glory (PG-13) 2 p.m./8 p.m. Shallow Hal (PG-13)

11 p.m./5 a.m. Original Sin (R)2 a.m. Exorcist 2000 (R)

SUNDAY11 a.m./5 p.m. Doctor Dolittle 2 (PG)2 p.m./8 p.m. The Italian Job (PG-13)

11 p.m./5 a.m. American Wedding (R)2 a.m. A Man Apart (R)

MONDAY11 a.m./5 p.m. Mission To Mars (PG)2 p.m./8 p.m. Daredevil (PG-13)

11 p.m./5 a.m. Terminator 3 (R)2 a.m. Ghost World (R)

TUESDAY11 a.m./5 p.m. Head Over Heels (PG-13)

2 p.m./8 p.m. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective(PG-13)

11 p.m./5 a.m. Goodfellas (R)2 a.m. Seven Girlfriends (R)

WEDNESDAY11 a.m./5 p.m. Glory (PG-13)2 p.m./8 p.m. Dickie Roberts (PG-13)

11 p.m./5 a.m. The Pledge (R)2 a.m. Bat 21 (R)

THURSDAY11 a.m./5 p.m. Antitrust (PG-13)2 p.m./8 p.m. Malibu’s Most Wanted (PG-13)

11 p.m./5 a.m. Once Upon A Time InMexico (R)

2 a.m. Art Of War (R)

MOVIE SCHEDULESAKURA THEATER

BEYOND BORDERSAngelina Jolie stars as Sarah Jordan, a

sheltered American socialite living in Lon-don. When she meets Nick Callahan (CliveOwen) a renegade doctor, his commitmentto humanitarian efforts in war-torn nationsmoves her deeply. Driven by her passion forNick and his life’s work, Sarah risks every-thing to embark on a perilous journey thatleads to the volatile far corners of the earth(127 minutes).

GOTHIKAA criminal psychologist awakens to find

herself a patient in the very same mental in-stitution in which she works, with nomemory of the murder of her husband thatshe’s accused of committing. As she tries toregain her memory and convince her cowork-ers of her innocence, a vengeful spirit usesher as an earthly pawn... which only furtherconvinces all involved of both her guilt andher increasingly stead descent into madnessand delusion (95 minutes).

SCARY MOVIE 3The Scary Movie gang is back for the

third installment in this spoof series, but theyare no longer content to stick to the horrorgenre. Everything from “Lord of the Rings”to “8 Mile” is up for skewing (90 minutes).

FRIDAY7 p.m. Something’s Gotta Give (PG-13)

10 p.m. Scary Movie 3 (PG-13)

SATURDAY1 p.m. Dr. Seuss’ The Cat In The Hat

(PG)4 p.m. Looney Tunes Back In Action

(PG)7 p.m. Scary Movie 3 (PG-13)

10 p.m. Gothika (R)

SUNDAY4 p.m. Dr. Seuss’ The Cat In The Hat

(PG)7 p.m. Radio (PG)

MONDAY7 p.m. Something’s Gotta Give (PG-13)

TUESDAY7 p.m. Beyond Borders (R)

WEDNESDAY7 p.m. Gothika (R)

THURSDAY7 p.m. Scary Movie 3 (PG-13)

OUT THE GATE as well as products on sale. Call 53-7175 for more information on themarket and 57-7034 on the oysterfestival.

Yes Yoko OnoThere will be an exhibition of art-

work by Yoko Ono Tuesday toMarch 28, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. atHiroshima City Museum of Contem-porary Art. It closes Monday. Ad-mission fee is required. For moreinformation call 082-264-1121.

Exhibition Of Japanese Tradi-tional Art Crafts

This exhibition is held through

Note: Japanese who do notspeak English may answer thephone numbers provided.

Otake Sunday Market With Oys-ter Festival

A market is scheduled Sunday, 10a.m. to 3 p.m. at Harumi DaiichiPark, next to You Me Town Otake.Approximately 100 booths sellinglocal products such as fresh veg-etables, fish, and more. The OysterFestival is held with this market, of-fering free cooked sample oysters

Feb. 8, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at HiroshimaPrefectural Art Museum. It closeson Monday. More than 300 piecesof ceramics, textile, lacquer ware,bamboo crafts and dolls are dis-played. Admission fee is required.Call 082-221-6246 for details.

Folk Arts From Yi-choAn exhibition of folk crafts from

Yi-dynasty in Korea and Mingei folkcrafts will take place at HiroshimaMuseum of Art until Feb. 15, 9 a.m.to 5 p.m. Approximately 150 piecesof arts are displayed. Admission feeis required. Call 082-223-2530 formore information.

Culture shock is an unavoid-able part of moving to a foreigncountry. There are many thingsthat newcomers will have to adaptto while being stationed in Japan.One of which is eating in aJapanese restaurant.

Frustrated diners may think tothemselves,“Forget this –where’s a knife andfork?” This iswhere the adaptingcomes in – usingchopsticks.

There are twodifferent types ofchopsticks, bothwhich can be usedin the same way.“Waribashi,” arethe plain dispos-able chopsticks found in mostinexpensive restaurants. “Hashi,”are the more expensive decoratedversion of chopsticks.

Using either type of chop-sticks can be a challenge, butfollowing a few easy steps canmake a Japanese dining experi-ence a whole lot easier.

The first step is to cradle asingle chopstick in the “V” part ofyour hand, between the thumband forefinger. Hold this chop-stick between the crook and thefinger next to the pinky finger.

The upper chopstick is heldlike a pencil, using the thumb andfirst two fingers. The tips of thechopsticks are used to pick upthe food by opening and closingthe chopsticks using the first two

Try your hand at chopsticksAdapting to the Japanese style of eatingcan be done by learning four easy steps � The lower stick goes in the

“V” between the thumb andforefinger.

� The upper stick isheld by the thumb andfirst two fingers.

� Sticks should extend1/3 above the hand, 2/3below with the endseven.

� Sticks are openedand closed by movingthe first two fingers.

fingers to manipulate the move-ment.

When using chopsticksproperly, there are a few customsthat also need to be learned.

First, you should never standyour chopsticks upright in a meal.This originates from a Japanesecustom in which a bowl of rice isset out with chopsticks standingupright for the deceased. Also,

never pass foodfrom chopsticksto chopsticks –this is only doneat funerals wherepeople arecremated. Familymembers usingchopsticks passthe deceasedbones from oneanother andplace them intoan urn.

Between each bite, chopstickscan be set down, however heretoo there is a proper way: placethe chopsticks together and placethe food end of the chopsticks onthe edge of the plate of food andrest the bottom edges on thetable.

Also, keep the paper wrapperthe chopsticks come in to putthem back in when finished withthe meal. If the wrapper is lost ordestroyed, place the chopsticks tothe right of the plate or below it.

Once you’ve learned both theetiquette and how to use chop-sticks, eating in Japan can becomemuch easier. So while enjoyingthe local cuisine, try your hand atchopsticks.

First, you shouldnever stand your

chopsticksupright in a meal.Also, never passfood from chop-sticks to chop-

sticks.

COMPILED BY

Torii Teller Staff

Jennifer Walker at 253-3431 or stop by Building411 Room 109.

CHRO (253-6828)MCCS:–Child Development Pro-

gram Administrator–Supervisory Education

Services Specialist–Career Resource Pro-

gram ManagerFacilities:–Housing Management

AssistantDeCA:–Sales Store Checker

(Student Temporary Em-ployment Program)

–Store Worker (Intermit-tent)

MCCS (253-3030)(The following jobs areopen at MCCS Person-ne l )

Honda Ascot Innova , 1992,4 door, great condition,very clean, A/C, P/W, P/L, AM/FM/cassette/CD,JCI unt i l Aug. 2005,$2,500 obo. Call GySgt.Plattsmier at 253-4074 dwhor 21-7934 awh.

Misc., excersaucer; babyswing, battery operated;baby clothes; baby acces-sories. Call NatashaIdland at 253-7524.

Misc., wooden rockingchair with cushion andstep stool, excellent con-dition, $65; Peg Peregosingle stroller, only usedfor one year, new retailsfor $200 or more, $50;

TORII TELLER CLASSIFIED ADSTo submit your ads or announcements: Torii Telleraccepts ads/announcements from nonprofit organizationsand groups only. Briefs run on space-available and time-

priority basis. Deadline for briefs is noon Thursday. ToriiTeller reserves the right to edit to fit space. Stop byBuilding 1, Room 216 to fill out a form.

baby bassinet and othermisc. baby items. CallHeidi Hayes at 253-2202.

Misc., Graco Breezestroller car seat combo,$30; baby boy clothes,sizes 6-12 months. CallRita at 253-2662.

Tutor needed for schoolage children to help inmath. Call Ashcraft at 253-2692.

Central Texas CollegeCentral Texas College

is looking for a part timeCriminal Justice govern-ment instructor. MA is re-quired. For further infor-mation or application, call

MCCS Job Listing:–Retail Area Supervisor,

civilian only–Inventory Control Spe-

cialist, civilian only–Procurement Assistant,

civilian only–Basic Replenishment

Clerk, civilian only–Catering Manager–Club Operations Assis-

tant, civilian only–Food Court Assistant

Manager–Food Service Worker, ci-

AUTOMOBILES

vilian only–Operation Assistant, ci-

vilian only–Recreation Assistant, ci-

vilian only–Recreation Assistant–Public Relations Special-

ist, civilian only–Accounting Technician,

civilian only–Contract Specialist, ci-

vilian only–Equipment Inventory

Assistant, civilian only–Main tenance Supp ly

Technic ian, c iv i l ianonly

Continuously Open JobsRetail Branch:–Senior Sales Associate–Retail Operations Assis-

tant–Sales Clerk

OTHER ITEMS

JOB OPENINGS

WANTED

–Store Worker–Laborer–Food Service WorkerFood & Hospitality:–Club Operations Assis-

tant–ID Checker–Waiter/Waitress–Food Service WorkerServices Branch:–Retail Operations Assis-

tant–Car Rental/Service Sta-

tion Attendant–Car/Washer/Laborer–Recreation AttendantAthletics Branch:–Recreation Operations

Assistant–Recreation Assistant–Recreation Attendant–Lifeguard

Wanted: Valentine’s Day surprise!Have a picture of you and your sweetheart? Send it to the Torii Teller

with a brief message and it will run in the special Valentine’s Day editionFeb. 13th.

Deadlines for submissions will be Feb 6. All submissions must betasteful in nature. Send your sweetheart a valentine to remember.

PAGE 10 COMMUNITY BRIEFS

Test ScheduleTuesdays/Fridays - CLEP,DSSTMonday - EDPT, DLABWednesday - DLPTThursday - AFCT

For more information call253-3855.

Anger Management GroupEvery Wednesday until March17, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thiswill be an eight-week anger man-agement process group. Any-one who desires a better under-standing of their own anger andhow to effectively handle it isinvited. The group will involveinformation, discussion andactivities as well as out-of-group projects. Safe conversa-tion and confidentiality will bea priority. Ideally participantswill attend all eight sessions,but people can come at anytime. Call Mindy Gelder at 253-

CLIMB THE WALL TREADWALL ORIENTATIONFeb. 7, 9-10:30 a.m. in the IronWorks Gym Cardio Room. Chal-

lenge the climbing wall under expert guidance. The Station person-nel and family members age 16 and older sign up for free at theIronWorks Gym front desk before Feb. 5. For more informationcall 253-5051.

GEAR ISSUEOpen weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m.

to 4 p.m., supplying free recreational, ski, snowboard and camping equip-ment.

RUN FOR YOUR HEARTFeb. 6, 11 a.m. The Station personnel and family members run 5

kilometers on the seawall. Sign up for free before Monday at the

IronWorks Gym front desk. Call 253-5051 for more information.

7TH ANNUAL SEMPER FIT GOODWILL AEROBATHONJan. 31, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the IronWorks Gym Sports Courts. 20-

minutes exercise segments led by Semper Fit instructors, Hi/Lo, cardiokickboxing, step/cycling, agility circuit, muscle conditioning, and yoga.Sign up before Wednesday at the IronWorks Gym front desk for $5.Call 253-6359 for details.

FAR EAST CHAMPIONSHIP KARATE TOURNAMENTMarch 27, 8 a.m. Open to the Station personnel, family members

and local Japanese residents, age 5 and up. Children age 5-15 sign upfor $10, all others for $25 at the IronWorks Gym front desk. Specialguest appearance by Howards Jackson, World Champion and currenttraining partner of Chuck Norris.

IWAKUNI SPORTS SCENE

Roman CatholicSaturday 4:30 p.m. Confession

5:30 p.m. MassSunday 9:30 a.m. Mass

10:45 a.m. CCD

ProtestantSaturday 9:30 a.m. Seventh Day Adventist

(second and fourth)Sunday 8 a.m. Traditional

9:30 a.m. Sunday School11 a.m. Contemporary12:30 p.m. Jesus Christ Apostolic

ServiceThursday 6:30 p.m. Jesus Christ Apostolic

Bible Study

Church of ChristSunday 9:30 a.m. Bible Study

10:30 a.m. Church of ChristWednesday 7 p.m. Bible Study

Latter Day SaintsSunday 1 p.m. Priesthood/RS Meeting

2 p.m. Sunday School3 p.m. Sacrament

MuslimFriday Noon Prayer

JewishFriday 6 p.m. Shabbat

For information regarding divine services, religiouseducation or any other Command Religious Program/Chapel activity call the Station Chapel at 253-5218.

CHAPEL SERVICES

TORII TELLER, JANUARY 23, 2004 SPORTS PAGE 11TORII TELLER, JANUARY 23, 2004

COMMUNITY BRIEFSMyPay/TSP.

CRMC Classes (253-6439)n Employment Overview:Tuesday, 1-2:30 p.m.n DoD Federal Employment:Thursday, 1-3 p.m.

Club Iwakuni (253-4143)n Super Bowl Drawings: Jan.31. Drawings are available in alllounges for arm chair seating atthe Feb. 2 Super Bowl Party inthe ballroom.n Don’t Miss The Boat: Nowthrough Feb. 14, Club Iwakunimembers receive one chance towin a Caribbean cruise for two,including airfare and luggage,for each meal purchase in thedining rooms or ballroom. Thewinning entry will be drawn atthe Valentine’s Dinner, Feb. 14.Ask Club Iwakuni servers fordetails.

MCX (253-5641)n Super Bowl Promotion:Stop by the MCX for your Su-per Bowl Party needs.

Teen Center (253-6454)n Passport to Manhood: Sun-day, 5-7 p.m. Young men enjoyfood and plenty of fun withgood friends.n Job Ready Session “FilingOut A Job Application”:

4526 to sign up.

CHRO Trainingn Introduction To Supervi-sion: Feb. 9-12, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.n Mentoring Skills: Feb. 13,8 a.m. to 4 p.m.n EBIS/My Pay/TSP: Feb. 17,1:30-3:30 p.m. (This training willbe provided at Building 360, theDistance Learning Center.)n Survival Skills For Mili-tary/Civilian Supervisors : Feb.18, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.n Family Member Local Em-ployment Orientation: Feb. 25,8-9 a.m.n RESUMIX: Feb. 25, 9:30-10:30 a.m.n Outbound Family MemberPriority Placement ProgramBrief : Feb. 25, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.For more information and nomi-nation, call 253-6828 or send e-mail to shiomuram.jp.@iwakuni.usmc.mil. Classes will be heldat Building 1, Room 102, CHROtraining room except EBIS/

EDUCATION

HEALTHCARE

Wednesday, 3-5 p.m.

Single Marine Program(253-4656)n Madden Football Tourna-ment: Jan. 31, 6 p.m. Prizes forfirst, second and third place.

Grocery Shopping TourWednesday, 1-3 p.m. Call 253-6165 for more information.

BookstoreJanuary is National HobbyMonth. Join us at the Cross-roads Mall bookstore andbrowse our selection of books.Enter to win a $25 bookstorecoupon. Call 253-5849 for moreinformation.

“Drawing On The Strengths OfThe Military Family” ArtContestIn honor of the “Month of theMilitary Child” (April), MarineCorps Family Team Building issponsoring its’ third annual artcontest. The age categories areas follows:w Category 1 0-4 yearsw Category 2 5-8 yearsw Category 3 9-12 yearsw Category 4 13-18 yearsThe grand prize winner will re-ceive an IT&T trip for four toUniversal Studios Japan andtheir winning entry will grace thecover of the April 2004 PreviewMagazine. Prizes will also beawarded to the 1st, 2nd and 3rdplace winner in each age cat-egory. Dependants of SOFAsponsored personnel ages 0-18are eligible to enter. All entries

Lance Cpl. David Revere

2004 Preseason Volleyball ChampsThe Dragons from Combat Service Support Squadron 36 made a strong

statement during the 2004 preseason tournament, winning the event andsuffering only one loss. In the picture, Dale Houck is presented with theteam trophy by coach Armando Lozano. All members of the team receivedindividual trophies in recognition of this achievement. Pictured left to right:Patrick Woehlk, William Woolsey, Stephen Mahon, Houck, Lozano, CraigPetersen, Michael Johnson, Herber Flores and Joshua Trevizo. Team-members not pictured: Erica Coggins, Frazier Evans, Daniel Sawyer, andMiguel Campos.

must be received by Feb. 13, 4p.m. in the office of M.C.F.T.B.,Building 1104, Yujo Hall. All en-tries must be two dimensional,measuring 8.25” x 9.25”, portraitorientation. Only one entry perperson will be accepted. For anyassistance or questions, contactthe M.C.F.T.B. Team of CaptainMark Allen or Cammie Wolfe at253-3754.

National Children’s DentalHealth MonthCome join the celebration at theDental Clinic Feb. 7, 8 a.m. to 1p.m. There will be fun games andprizes, gifts for children andhelpful information for the par-ents. Children’s exams will beperformed as well. For more in-formation call Lt. Gelder at 253-3331 or Chief Petty Officer Olaesat 253-5252

Thrift StoreThe Thrift Store is open Tues-days from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,Thursday from 4-8 p.m. and thelast Saturday of each monthfrom 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in Build-ing 1117, located next to theChapel.

Iwakuni ToastmastersJoin Toastmasters Club, whichprovides Communication andLeadership training. For moreinformation contact Ms.Reganat 253-4557 or Ms. Donahue at253-5328 or visit http://iwakunitmc.at.infoseek.co.jp

MCCS

COMMUNITY

CHRO

Team Tsunami dives into competitionLANCE CPL DAVID REVERE

Combat Correspondent

Team Tsunami, the Station’s 6-15year-old coed swim team put theirheart into Sunday’s performance at theHiraki youth swim meet.

Competing against seven otherJapanese teams, the swimmers cameaway with a first-place award for bestteam.

Races were held for a variety ofdistances and age divisions. Athletescompeted in butterfly, backstroke,breaststroke and freestyle events.

“It was our first time winning,”said team member Samantha Dignazio,“It was very special for us.”

“I had two swimmers break courserecords for their grade divisions,” saidhead coach Amber Craven. “Six-year-old Sabrina Dahl broke the record forthe 25-meter back stroke, the 25-meterfreestyle and the 50-meter freestyle.Sarina Case, 7, took the 25-meter backstroke and 100-meter freestyle record.”

Case also went home with themeet’s most valuable swimmer award.

The athletes spent numeroushours in practice, applying achampion’s devotion to their sport.

According to Craven, the swim-mers practice one-and-a-half hours,

three times a week. Theconditioning clearlypaid off.

“All my kids placedfrom first to third place,”said Craven. “I was soexcited. I am proud ofall of them.”

“They really madeus feel appreciated,”said team memberAlexandra Reynolds.“There were officialsthat got up and saidthat they were gratefulwe came.”

More than anathletic event, the teamexperienced swimmingcompetition the Japa-nese way.

“The rules aredifferent in some ways,”said Craven. “Forinstance, everyonebowed before entering the pool.”

Craven recalled with a laugh theway each event started. “We are usedto the usual, ‘swimmers take yourmarks… go,’ but before they start anevent, an official yells, ‘Ahhhh’ andshoots a gun!”

A jolt of adrenaline might have

Lance Cpl. David Revere

Kathleen Ashley Perry comes up for air during a butterfly lap. Perryand her teammates had exemplary performances at Sunday’s com-petition with first through third-place finishes.

Lance Cpl. David Revere

Devon Mastria demonstrates flawless form on a dive into the IronWorks Gympool. The athletes practice at the pool approximately four and a half hours aweek.

been a productive start for theseyoung athletes, but it was old-fashioned discipline, which elevatedtheir performance to excellence.

“There wasn’t one swimmer thatdidn’t improve on their time,” saidCraven.

Photo courtesy of Team Tsunami

Team Tsunami was well matched in all of Sunday’s races, but ulti-mately triumphed with a first place finish.

PAGE 12 SPORTSTORII TELLER, JANUARY 23, 2004

Aikido brings new life to martial arts dojo

“Those who are skilled in combat do not becomeangered, and those who are skilled at winning do notbecome afraid,” said the famous philosopher, ZhugeLiang. “Thus, the wise win before they fight, whilethe ignorant fight to win.”

The Japanese martial art, aikido, could berepresented in those words. Aikido focuses not onmindlessly punching or kicking opponents, butrather on using their own energy to gain control ofthem or to throw them away.

Offered by Marine Corps Community Services,the new aikido class is held every Tuesday andThursday from 8:30-9:30 p.m. in the IronWorks GymDojo room.

According to Vincent Midgley, a student and anorganizer of the new class, the goal of Aikido is notthe defeat of others, but the defeat of the negativecharacteristics which inhabit one’s own mind andinhibit its functioning.

“In simpler terms, one of the things that makeaikido fun and unique is that it is self-paced and youare not in competition with anyone,” said Midgley.“Aikido teachings also help us understand thatthere are many different types of people, so there aremany different types of aikidoka (aikido practitio-ners). By training cooperatively, even potentiallylethal techniques can be practiced without substan-tial risk. This type of cooperative training alsoallows for people of all ages, sizes and shapes toenjoy the benefits of a healthier mind, body andspirit through aikido.”

One of the students, Rohan M. Crawley, is also astudent of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program,judo and jujitsu. “I’ve seen basic concepts from allthree,” said Crawley of his aikido training. “I’m hereto learn something new while developing myselffurther as a martial artist.”

Aikido has plenty of new techniques thatseparate it from other forms of self-defense.

“Aikido is unique from most other martial arts inso many ways,” said Crawley. “While martial artslike tae kwon do and judo are more competitive andarts like te tse bu kan and ju jitsu are more lethal andcombative, aikido is simply effective. Rather thanstressing how good you look as in competition, orhow hard and fast you can strike, aikido focuses ontechnique.”

The student’s instructor is addressed asSensai, literally meaning, “One who has gonebefore.” The Sensei is well experienced inbody control and manipulation.

“Even when we think we’ve got thetechnique right, Sato Sensei comes by andshows us that there is still some little thingthat we are either doing wrong or could dobetter,” said Crawley of his instructor.

As a balance to the exacting exercise,aikido emphasizes peace and mental balance.In fact, the literal translation of aikido is, “theway of harmony of the spirit.”

“As a Marine, I’m a little high-strung,”said Crawley. “Strangely, aikido relaxes me agreat deal.”

“There is a term commonly used byaikidoka, ‘aikido for life,’ which has many interpreta-tions,” said Midgley. “What it means to me is thataikido is not something that one can learn and thenmove on, it is something that a person incorporatesinto their life.”

STORY AND PHOTOS BY

LANCE CPL. DAVID REVERE

Combat Correspondent

With arm bars like this one, Susumu Satocan completely control his opponent’smovement.

Station residents and familymembers age four and up may attendthe class for $30 each month. For moreinformation, call Charla Truesdale at253-5051.

Susumu Sato demonstrates joint manipulation on RohanCrawley.

Using student Vincent Midgley’s own momentum, Susumu Sato effortlessly throws him tothe floor.