Col. Marcus Hunter, center, U.S. Army Garrison Japan commander, poses with members of the garrison team at Kure Pier 6 during a recent two-day trip to the Kure Ammunition District in Hiroshima, Japan. (Tim Flack, U.S. Army Garrison Japan Public Affairs)
KURE, Japan – U.S. Army Garrison Japan employees at the Kure Ammunition District were able to showcase their unique mission to their commander during his two-day visit nearly 500 miles from the garrison headquarters at Camp Zama.
Col. Marcus Hunter, USAG Japan commander, said he visited the Kure team in late February with the goal to “recognize some of the incredible accomplishments they’ve had, and everything the team does down here.”
The small team of garrison employees tackles a huge daily mission supporting the 10th Support Group in stocking, storing and transporting munitions. They work from Kure Pier 6, and the Akizuki, Kawakami and Hiro ammunition depots.
Hunter explained that all Garrison employees – including the team at Kure – have the primary mission of helping the senior commander integrate the resources, infrastructure and capabilities in Japan to support the Army’s very diverse set of missions in the region.
“The Garrison’s responsibility is to help the senior commander integrate those capabilities and ensure that those missions are successful, and that our people are well taken care of … safe and secure in everything that they do,” Hunter said.
And the team excels in those duties in Kure, he said.
“They do an incredible job in maintaining our facilities and integrating all the support structure and apparatus that’s needed to make sure that the mission is successful,” Hunter said.
Adam Negri, Kure installation manager, said he wanted to give the commander the opportunity to “recognize some of the excellent achievements and accomplishments by the team down here,” and to allow them to show Hunter where they work and how they actually complete their mission.
“We’ve got a really great team – they do a really great job of keeping a very unique mission running smoothly and it’s always good to be able to recognize those folks for their outstanding service and contributions to the whole of the mission in Japan,” Negri said.
Hunter’s visit included mission briefings on emergency services, public works and community engagement, as well as a walk-through of the Morale, Welfare and Recreation amenities at Pier 6.
He also traveled to each ammunition depot to walk through the workspaces, meet the employees and talk to them about their successes and the challenges they face.
Hunter said the best part of visiting the team is when he can participate in their training and learn first-hand how they support the mission.
During the Kure trip, Hunter rode patrols with the guard personnel, observed fire department rope rescue training, and donned a hard hat and safety gear to rappel from the Kawakami Fire Department building with the firefighters.
Paul Buckner, the regional deputy fire chief at Kure, said his team was very excited to be able to spend time with the commander.
“It means a whole lot to them because normally we’re pretty far away from the flagpole,” he said. “For him to come down and recognize our guys and say, ‘Hey, you’re doing a great job,’ … it just means the world to them.”
Hunter said he was impressed with the Kure team.
“It’s exciting to see their energy, their commitment, and the incredible dedication they have to the mission here in Kure,” he said. “And I love to see the camaraderie and the teamwork that they have.”
