CO’S Holiday Message
Capt. Lloyd B. Mack I want to join the entire NAF Atsugi team – including especially our families and tenant command members – in reviewing and celebrating the past year with a sense of pride and achievement. The holidays give us an opportunity to take a pause, connect even more with family and friends, and dwell more in our faith and beliefs. As a part of the NAF Atsugi family, each of us can also take a few moments to appraise our own challenges and accomplishments as we have committed to sustaining base operations and continuing our ultimate mission to support the warfighter. I am proud to look over the last year and reflect on our collective accomplishments, (as I hope you can equally take pride in your own professional and individual achievements). We continued vital support of air operations in support of 7th Fleet training and exercises, partnered to help Japanese emergency services agencies, welcomed more than 60,000 Japanese citizens to our open base events, all while weathering multiple, severe typhoons! So join me in celebrating 2019 and welcoming 2020. I pray that you all have a blessed and safe happy holidays and I look forward to working with you next year!
CMC’s Holiday Message Command Master Chief Daniel Irwin
Shipmates, as we flip another like calendar Shipmates, as we close out 2019, I would to page and 2018 comes to an end, I’d like to pass on to you and your families my heartfelt wishes reflect on the many successes we’ve shared for a terrific holiday season year. and passand on toa wonderful you and your new families, my I would also like us toheartfelt take wishes this time reflect the for a to joyous holidayon season and all a prosperous year.year. many successes we’ve had thisnewpast This year’s final edition of our command This year’s final edition of our Skywriter magazine magazine contains brief snapshots of the contains some snapshots of the many things tremendous accomplishments you’veyou’ve made over the last done over the last twelve As I I’ve have herefor for over a twelve months. months. Though only been been here six of those, been trulybyoverwhelmed by the contributions year now, I continue to beI’ve amazed all the contributions you all you make to our Navy and the community, both inside make to our Navy and the community every day, both inside and and outside the fence line. outside the fence line. Everyone I’ve come into contact with since reporting Each and every day aboard we have the many challenges has tackled been nothing short ofunique a consummate professional. and everyDeployed day you’ve Naval tackled the we face being stationed in theEach Forward Forces many unique challenges we face being stationed in the here in Japan. This year, we welcomed dozens of distinguished Deployed Naval Forces without missing a beat. visitors, including theForward of we Naval Operations, MCPON (Ret) JustChief this year, welcomed dozens of distinguished Terry Scott, hosted several State of Base town meetings visitors, including the the Secretary of the Navy,hall hosted five State of the Base town hall meetings facilitated the and facilitated the movement of personnel fromand MCAS Iwakuni to relocation of six fixed wing squadrons from NAFA to the ships out of Yokosuka. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. We also demonstrated ourdemonstrated leadership and commitment to the We also our leadership and commitment region through our ever growing community programs. to the region through our robustengagement community engagement We reached out locally, as We wereached do each month, maintain program. out locally, as weto do help each month, to help maintain the area surrounding Yamato station, the area surrounding Yamato station, and we have travelled four twice travelled hours north assist are our still hours north to assist and ourwefriends from four Tomioka townto who friends from Tomioka town who are still reeling from reeling from 2011’s Great Japan Disaster. Wealso also 2011’s East Great East Japan Disaster. We heldheld food food drives, toy drives anddrives, language exchanges to name a few. toy drives and languagejust exchanges to name a few. We can’t highlight our many accomplishments without thanking We Japanese can’t highlight partners. our many accomplishments without the contributions of our From our Shipmates mentioning the contributions of our Japanese partners. in the JMSDF, to our From dedicated MLC/IHA professionals, our shipmates in theworkforce JMSDF, to our dedicated we wouldn’t be able MLC/IHA to do what weprofessionals, do withoutwe their support workforce wouldn’t be able and to do what we do without their support and leadership. leadership. In a time of heightened and greater attention In a time of heightened tensions andtensions greater attention on our on our forces in the Indo-Pacific, everyone here at NAFA forces in the Indo-Pacific Region, everyone here at NAF Atsugi has performed brilliantly as ambassadors of the United has performed well above as ambassadors the United States andboard our nation’s Navy. I ask everyoneof to continue to do what you’ve always done; take care of yourselves States and the Navy the Nation needs. I ask everyone to continue and look done; out for those your left right. to do what we have always takeoncare of and yourselves and your With everything mentioned above, it’s no surprise Shipmates! that we’ve achieved the level of success we enjoyed With everything mentioned it’smenoas surprise that we’ve in 2018. Fewabove, things make proud as recognizing the outstanding achievements of our Sailor and civilian achieved the level of success we enjoyed in 2019. Nothing makes team. Thank you for all you do. I have no doubt we’ll me as proud as recognizing the outstanding achievements of our continue this trend and look forward to what lies ahead Sailor and civilian team. Thank you for all you do. I have no doubt in 2019! we’ll continue this trend and look forward to what lies ahead in 2020!
Public Affairs Officer Howard Sam Samuelson Deputy Public Affairs Officer Briana Baglini Editor MC3(SW) Jacob Smith Skywriter Staff MC3 (SW) Jacob Smith MC3 Olivier Clement Host Nation Relations Masako Takakura Ikumi Tanaka
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ON THE COVER A COLLAGE OF THE SKYWRITER MAGAZINE COVERS FROM 2019.
2019 Year in Review
We are happy to showcase an annual profile of NAF Atsugi through a collection of photos that the public affairs office has taken during the course of 2019. As this year comes to a close we wish you happy holidays. We will see you next year! If you have questions or comments on this or any issue of Skywriter, let us know at: skywriteratsugi@gmail.com.
2019 Photo Contest W
1st Place Tokyo Yosakoi Festival August 2019 Eliza Perrin
2nd Place Ueno Park November 2019 Ashton J. Huang
Winners
3rd Place Enoshima Boardwalk November 2019 Geoffrey Hall
FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM DPAO Briana Baglini
MC3 Ange Olivier Clemen
MC3 Jacob Smith
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PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE This image encapsulates all that I love about Japan. Taken in Kyoto, my family and I happened upon a local ceremony while wandering the back streets. My favorite performance of the evening was of these women whose delicate yet deliberate steps, when compounded with the atmosphere of the shrine, made for moving art.
Why is this my favorite photo of the year? Well, little did we know when I snapped this photo, the summit was so close, yet so very far.
This was not an easy shoot, with all the wind and rain coming down for hours, having to try and keep my lens from getting covered in water so my shots weren’t being ruined. This was one of the few photos I got that day that weren’t obscured in any way, with that and the composition, it made for a shot that both looked great and felt truly earned.
Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!