U.S Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Steven Kern, left, the sergeant major of Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 152, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, and a native of Loveland, Ohio, gives a certificate to Cpl. Nadezhda Karlov, a military working dog handler with the Provost Marshal’s Office, Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron (H&HS), Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, and a native of Suffolk, Virginia, during the graduation of Martial Arts Instructor course 105-26 at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, August 21, 2026. The MAI course is a physically and mentally demanding training cycle designed to teach and strengthen the mental and moral resiliency of Marines, enabling them to conduct Marine Corps Martial Arts Program belt advancement courses within their individual units.

Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni

related stories

• MCAS Iwakuni hosts August 2026 naturalization ceremony
• Lt. Col. Tschirley conducts his final flight as the executive officer of MCAS Iwakuni
• MCAS Iwakuni spotlight: Cpl. Thomas O’Brien and MWD Rambo