The commander of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Col. Kenneth Rossman, chats with a young Marine during a joint patrol of Iwakuni, Japan, Dec. 12, 2025. (Janiqua Robinson/Stars and Stripes)
IWAKUNI, Japan — Leaders from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and local governments walked through two districts of this city Friday night in a joint patrol aimed at promoting public safety and strengthening ties.
MCAS Iwakuni commander Col. Kenneth Rossman and Iwakuni Mayor Yoshihiko Fukudo opened the evening with remarks at city hall’s Kawashita Branch Office before beginning the two-hour patrol.
“I’m honored to join you today under the noble motto of making a safe town,” Rossman said. “Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni is proud of our steadfast partnership with the city and with Japan. Together we build trust, strength and safety, and safeguard peace for future generations.”
An Iwakuni city press release said the patrol aimed to “promote the creation of a safe and secure community where all residents of Iwakuni can live comfortably,” adding that residents, government officials and base personnel would work together on crime-prevention efforts.
The group first walked through the Kawashita district, stopping at local restaurants, thrift shops and bars. They later drove to the Marifu district, meeting at the YMCA before patrolling Nakadori Shopping Street, a spot known among service members as the Yellow Brick Road.
Speaking to reporters after the patrol, Rossman said the event underscored the importance of base personnel engaging responsibly with the local community.
“It’s wonderful to see so many SOFA members interacting with local businesses and with the local citizens here in Iwakuni,” he said. “We’re truly concerned about ensuring the safety of Iwakuni and Japan and the defense of Japan.”
Asked about measures taken to prevent misconduct by service members, Rossman said the base emphasizes respectful behavior.
“We’re very concerned for our SOFA members acting respectfully off base so that they’re not a danger to themselves or others,” he said.
The commander of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Col. Kenneth Rossman, exits a local business during a joint patrol of Iwakuni, Japan, Dec. 12, 2025. (Janiqua Robinson/Stars and Stripes)
Iwakuni Mayor Yoshihiko Fukuda, right, visits an oyster bar during a joint patrol of his city outside Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Dec. 12, 2025. (Janiqua Robinson/Stars and Stripes)
Rossman said newcomers receive briefings on local expectations and that the base conducts training, courtesy patrols and outbound gate monitoring to prevent drinking and driving.
The patrol kicked off hours after U.S. Forces Japan acknowledged that military police patrolling an Okinawa street made a mistake when they aggressively detained a U.S. civilian last month in an incident captured on video that went viral. The command halted unilateral patrols by the U.S. military on Okinawa and ordered an investigation into the incident.
Yamaguchi prefecture, the Chugoku-Shikoku Defense Bureau — an arm of Japan’s Defense Ministry — and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force also took part in the Iwakuni patrol.
AloJapan.com