US force ignores “Iejima aggregation” conducting training without warning
January 13, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo
January 13, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo
The U.S. air force conducted parachute drop training over the Tsuken Island training area in Uruma City around 11:00 a.m. on January 12. The training was done without any notification being given to Okinawa Prefecture or the city. Soldiers as well as supplies were dropped. There were some fishing ships sailing around the same area. The prefecture and Uruma City Have demanded training be conducted in the ocean only around Ie Island area based off the report by the Specian Action Committee on Okinawa, so called SACO, yet the request was once again ignored. On January 11, the U.S.FederalAviationAdministration(FAA) announced multiple trainings will be held in the U.S. Kadena Air Force Base on January 17. However, the notification was deleted on January 12. This marks the eighth training conducted offshore of Tsuken Island since the SACO agreemend was made. The previous training was done in August of 2015.
Seven parachutes were dropped from US Air Force MC130 special operation task force at 11:07 a.m. Six out of the seven items were soldiers, and two parachutes were attached to the last item. The soldiers got on a boat to sail around the area for about three and half hours before they landed on White Beach. Black materials were considered to be the boat that the soldiers used.
It is mandatory for the U.S. military to notify the Okinawa Defense Bureau about training around the area in advance. We asked the US Marine Corps and Navy about the reason for not notifying the prefecture as well as the reason for the training around Tsuken Island, however no answer was given by January 12.
However, the U.S.FAA posted on its website, “The U.S. military will conduct multiple drop trainings in Kadena Air Base from 3000 meters above the base. There will be a restriction on the two runways in Kadena Air Base from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. due to the drop training.” However, the post has been deleted as of January 12, 7:00 p.m. local time.
The local communities have urged the Defense Bureau to provide the details of the training yet received the answer, “no details available.”
(English translation by T&CT and Sayaka Sakuma)
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US force ignores “Iejima aggregation” conducting training without warning
January 13, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo
米空軍、うるま津堅沖で通知なく降下訓練 「伊江島集約」を無視
琉球新報 2017年1月13日 08:30
ＭＣ１３０特殊作戦機から次々とパラシュートで降下する米兵ら。物資も含まれている＝１２日午前１１時ごろ、うるま市の津堅島訓練場水域付近上空（又吉康秀撮影）
【うるま】米空軍は１２日午前１１時すぎ、うるま市の津堅島訓練場水域で、沖縄県や市へ通知なくパラシュート降下訓練を実施した。落下物には兵士以外に黒い物資のような物も見られた。訓練水域周辺では民間の漁船などが航行する姿も確認された。県やうるま市は従来、日米特別行動委員会（ＳＡＣＯ）の最終報告に基づいて海域での訓練を伊江島に集約するよう求めてきたが、地元の要請は再び無視された。一方、米航空局は１１日、米空軍嘉手納基地内で１７日に複数の投下訓練の予定を公表したが、１２日になって削除している。津堅島沖での降下訓練は２０１５年８月以来でＳＡＣＯ合意後８回目。
午前１１時７分、米空軍ＭＣ１３０特殊作戦機から七つのパラシュートの塊が降下した。そのうち兵士は６人、残る一つは黒い物資でパラシュートが二つ付いていた。その後、兵士らはボートに乗って、周辺海域を約３時間半航行した後、米軍ホワイトビーチに上陸した。黒い物資は兵士が乗るボートだったとみられる。
米軍がこの訓練水域で訓練する場合は、沖縄防衛局に事前通知しなければならない。本紙は米海兵隊や米空軍に、通知しなかった理由や津堅島周辺海域で訓練した理由を尋ねたが、１２日中に回答はなかった。
一方、米航空局は１１日、サイト上で「米軍が１７日に嘉手納基地で高度３千メートル以上の上空から複数の投下訓練を実施する。午前６時から９時、正午から午後２時までの間、嘉手納基地の２本の滑走路が降下訓練により制限される」と記載していた。だが１２日午後７時現在、サイト上の記述はなくなっている。
関係自治体は１２日、沖縄防衛局を通じて訓練の確認を急いだが「詳細は分からない」との回答だった。
（上江洲真梨子、清水柚里）
英文へ→US force ignores “Iejima aggregation” conducting training without warning
