Col. Kenneth S. Lundgren took command of the 10th Area Support Group on July 7. He said Thursday he appreciates the warm welcome he has received from military and local leaders on Okinawa. (Cindy Fisher / S&S)
TORII STATION, Okinawa — The new commander of the 10th Area Support Group at Torii Station said last week he appreciates the rare opportunity, for a U.S. soldier, to serve on Okinawa.
The large Air Force presence at Kadena Air Base and numerous Marine Corps camps on the island mean that airmen and Marines could serve multiple tours here but this likely is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for soldiers, said Col. Kenneth S. Lundgren, who took command of the group on July 7.
He urged soldiers to take advantage of the opportunity and “appreciate their time here,” saying he plans to follow his own advice during his two-year tour as he works with Yomitan, the community outside the Torii Station gates.
Torii Station was established in the Yomitan area in 1979, according to the group’s Web site.
Lundgren said a top priority is to build “personal ties with local city and business leaders” such as Yomitan Mayor Keizo Yasuda. To that end, he said, he’s planned a courtesy visit with Yomitan business owners and the chamber of commerce sometime this month to discuss mutual concerns.
Lundgren described this as a challenging time for Okinawans. They’re still living with changes the U.S. government initiated in response to the global war on terrorism, he said, mentioning reduced base access, military training requirements and aircraft flights and the U.S.-Japanese decision to position air defense on the island. U.S. Forces Japan officials announced July 20 that 24 Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles will be based on Kadena.
The Okinawan people, he said, “have a lot to talk about if you give them the opportunity … good and bad.”
Lundgren said part of his time in the next year will be focused on moving about 600 soldiers and the Air Defense Battery Battalion to Kadena Air Base.
Soldiers at Torii Station are instrumental in building a stronger relationship with the local community, Lundgren said, noting that junior soldiers have more freedoms on Okinawa then their junior counterparts in the other services here. For instance, they don’t face the liberty-hour restrictions that have been ordered periodically for their Marine and Air Force counterparts.
Saying that this freedom shows the trust past commanders have had in the station’s soldiers, Lundgren said Torii Station and its soldiers should continue to “be good neighbors.
“If we live our service creed, if we live that standard,” he said, “we won’t have problems with our neighbors.”
