Keishi Koja
@keishirkoja.bsky.social
Okinawa-based reporter and translator for Stars and Stripes.
Okinawa bases brace for lengthy lockdown, flooding from Typhoon Dolphin
Okinawa bases brace for lengthy lockdown, flooding from Typhoon Dolphin
Typhoon Dolphin puts military bases on Okinawa at highest alert as residents stock up, fill sandbags and prepare for high winds, flooding, power outages.
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An emergency alert warning of a "real world active shooter" locked down Okinawa's Kadena Air Base late Tuesday, prompting a response by law enforcement before officials said no threat was found.
False active-shooter report triggers lockdown at Air Force base on Okinawa
Kadena Air Base went on lockdown for about an hour before it was lifted, and officials said no threat was substantiated.
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Community celebrates airman’s campaign to reduce litter on Okinawa’s party street
Community celebrates airman’s campaign to reduce litter on Okinawa’s party street
A one-man effort that began last year to clean up litter has grown into a community movement involving service members and Okinawa city residents.
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Marines provide first aid, stall assault suspect near Okinawa beach
Marines provide first aid, stall assault suspect near Okinawa beach
Three Marines intervened in an alleged assault, treated an injured Japanese man and stalled the suspect until police arrived.
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Japanese destroyer fires Tomahawk missile in ‘historic test launch’
Japanese destroyer fires Tomahawk missile in ‘historic test launch’
The guided-missile destroyer JS Chokai successfully fired the Tomahawk cruise missile in the Pacific Ocean with support from the U.S. Navy.
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Court upholds sentence of US sailor who had magic truffles mailed to Japan
Court upholds sentence of US sailor who had magic truffles mailed to Japan
A Japanese appeals court on Thursday upheld the conviction of a U.S. sailor who tried to obtain magic truffles through the Japanese postal system last year.
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The amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli pulled into White Beach Naval Facility here to offload its contingent of Marines, concluding a six-month deployment that included four months in support of the war against Iran.
USS Tripoli drops off Okinawa-based Marines following return from Iran war
USS Tripoli pulled into White Beach Naval Facility, concluding a six-month deployment that included four months in support of the war against Iran.
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Chinese destroyer trains with live fire inside Japan’s EEZ for first time
Chinese destroyer trains with live fire inside Japan’s EEZ for first time
A Chinese warship trained with live machine-gun fire inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
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WATCH: Lt. Gen. Benjamin Watson assumes command of III Marine Expeditionary Force from Lt. Gen. Roger Turner during a ceremony this week at the Butler Officers' Club on Camp Foster, Okinawa. 🎥: @keishirkoja.bsky.social Read more about III MEF here: www.stripes.com/branches/mar...
Marine accused of sexual assault was ‘out of his mind,’ fellow Marine testifies
Marine accused of sexual assault was ‘out of his mind,’ fellow Marine testifies
A Marine accused of sexual assault appeared impaired and behaved strangely before the incident in a base gym bathroom, two witnesses testified.
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New commander takes over III MEF during ‘strategic complexity’ in Pacific
New commander takes over III MEF during ‘strategic complexity’ in Pacific
Lt. Gen. Benjamin Watson assumed command of the Marine Corps’ only expeditionary force permanently deployed overseas amid an ongoing force restructuring.
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Test failure released 720 gallons of jet fuel at Okinawa air base in 2024, report says
Test failure released 720 gallons of jet fuel at Okinawa air base in 2024, report says
A jet fuel spill at Kadena Air Base released about 14 times more fuel than the U.S. military originally reported, according to a report.
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Japan’s southwestern islands brace for weakened, still dangerous Typhoon Bavi
Japan’s southwestern islands brace for weakened, still dangerous Typhoon Bavi
Japan’s Ishigaki island, a popular tourist destination and home to a Japanese army base, is battening down for Typhoon Bavi’s expected Saturday arrival.
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Landslide at Navy base in southern Japan follows days of heavy rain
Landslide at Navy base in southern Japan follows days of heavy rain
Several days of heavy rainfall may have caused a landslide at Sasebo Naval Base in southern Japan, with no injuries reported.
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China-Russia naval exercise challenges US-led military might in Pacific, experts say
China-Russia naval exercise challenges US-led military might in Pacific, experts say
The Joint Sea exercise represents a challenge this year to the international order upheld by the U.S., according to defense analysts.
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U.S. Navy’s Okinawa-based expeditionary force welcomes new commander www.stripes.com/branches/nav...
US Navy’s Okinawa-based expeditionary force welcomes new commander
A former amphibious assault ship commander took charge of the U.S. 7th Fleet’s expeditionary command, which oversees amphibious operations in the Pacific.
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Russia, China ‘expanding and intensifying’ naval activity in waters around Japan
Russia, China ‘expanding and intensifying’ naval activity in waters around Japan
China exercised its ability to transit Japan’s stretch of the first island chain by sending 10 warships through its maritime passes in the past week.
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An F-15EX Eagle II arrived at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa earlier this week for temporary training ahead of a contingent of permanently based aircraft due sometime next year, according to the 18th Wing.
Hint of things to come: F-15EX arrives on Okinawa for local training
An F-15EX Eagle II arrived at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa for temporary training ahead of a contingent of permanently based aircraft, the 18th Wing said.
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Marine missile systems unveiled on Okinawa as US-Japan exercise concludes
Marine missile systems unveiled on Okinawa as US-Japan exercise concludes
Marines on Okinawa have begun fielding three new missile systems that provide the backbone of a critical island defense network.
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Chinese, Russian joint flights draw complaints from Japan and South Korea
Chinese, Russian joint flights draw complaints from Japan and South Korea
Japan and South Korea lodged complaints through diplomatic channels after more than 10 Chinese and Russian military aircraft flew near the two countries.
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U.S. Marines and Japanese infantry rained live fire on this training ground on Kyushu recently while rehearsing the means to seize and defend contested islands during the centerpiece drill of this year’s Resolute Dragon.
Marines, Japanese soldiers employ live fire during island warfare exercise Resolute Dragon
U.S. Marines and Japanese infantry rained live fire on a training ground on Kyushu during the centerpiece drill of this year’s Resolute Dragon.
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The U.S. civilian who died Wednesday while snorkeling at a popular beach in Okinawa has been identified as James J. Chopik, an Air Force veteran deployed to Kadena Air Base from Alaska. (from @brianmcelhiney.bsky.social)
US civilian who died snorkeling on Okinawa was Air Force veteran from Alaska
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Marines, sailors demonstrate humanitarian aid capabilities on Okinawa beach
Marines, sailors demonstrate humanitarian aid capabilities on Okinawa beach
The III Marine Expeditionary Force and Maritime Pre-Positioning Ship Squadron 3 conducted the one-day Exercise Freedom Banner.
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Chinese carrier passes through Taiwan Strait amid multiple regional exercises
Chinese carrier passes through Taiwan Strait amid multiple regional exercises
China’s newest aircraft carrier steamed through the Taiwan Strait for the first time since December.
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US Air Force civilian dies in snorkeling incident in southern Okinawa
US Air Force civilian dies in snorkeling incident in southern Okinawa
An unidentified individual deployed to Kadena Air Base died after emergency responders attempted life-saving measures.
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Okinawa memorial day speakers reflect on sacrifice, peace and ‘heavy burden’ of US bases
Okinawa memorial day speakers reflect on sacrifice, peace and ‘heavy burden’ of US bases
Thousands gathered at Peace Memorial Park to reflect on the horrors of war during ceremonies marking the 81st anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa.
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US Army sending Typhon missile systems to southern Japan for upcoming drills
US Army sending Typhon missile systems to southern Japan for upcoming drills
U.S. deploys Typhon system to Kyushu, Japan, during Valiant Shield, boosting Indo-Pacific deterrence and strengthening U.S.-Japan defense cooperation.
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Name of Basque-American Marine to be added to Okinawa battle memorial
Name of Basque-American Marine to be added to Okinawa battle memorial
The last of six Basque-American troops killed during the Battle of Okinawa will join nearly 250,000 other names on a memorial honoring those who died in the fight.
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Japanese prosecutors will not charge a U.S. soldier who was accused of sexually assaulting a woman on Okinawa in April. www.stripes.com/theaters/asi...
Japanese prosecutors drop sexual assault case against US soldier on Okinawa
Japanese prosecutors will not charge a U.S. soldier who was accused of sexually assaulting a woman on Okinawa last month.
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A general who rose through the enlisted ranks is back on Okinawa to lead Marine Corps installations across the Pacific.
Former enlisted Marine returns to Okinawa to lead installations command
Brig. Gen. Ralph Rizzo Jr. assumed command of Marine Corps Installations Pacific.
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