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James Bolinger

James Bolinger is a reporter at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.

He previously served at Vance Air Force Base, Okla., where he spent nearly seven years as the NCOIC of public affairs covering specialized undergraduate pilot training. He began his career as editor of the Airlifter newspaper at Dover Air Force Base, Del., then headed to the Defense Information School where he served as a journalism instructor from 2009 to 2011.

Email: bolinger.james@stripes.com

A sailor fires an M9 service pistol during a weapons qualification course in the Philippine Sea aboard the USS Green Bay, March 27, 2019.<br>Anaid Banuelos/U.S. Navy
A sailor fires an M9 service pistol during a weapons qualification course in the Philippine Sea aboard the USS Green Bay, March 27, 2019.<br>Anaid Banuelos/U.S. Navy

Commander: Changes to Navy culture after collisions lead to higher re-enlistment rates in Japan

The re-enlistment, or retention, rate for first-term sailors aboard Sasebo-based ships reached 80 percent this year along with an overall enlisted promotion rate at or above the Navy average.

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An April Fools' Day prank by the III Marine Expeditionary Force announced that Marines living in the barracks will be allowed to keep one pet if they submit a package to their chain of command and complete a class, Pet Care and Training 100.1.<br>Courtesy of U.S. Marine Corps
An April Fools' Day prank by the III Marine Expeditionary Force announced that Marines living in the barracks will be allowed to keep one pet if they submit a package to their chain of command and complete a class, Pet Care and Training 100.1.<br>Courtesy of U.S. Marine Corps

April Fools': Military trolls troops over allowing beards for airmen, pets in barracks

“April Fools’ Day allows III Marine Expeditionary Force the opportunity to build camaraderie and foster esprit de corps within our ranks," said III MEF spokesman Lt. David Mancilla.

Staff Sgt. Erica Melendres, Team USA, plates a desert at the Joint Culinary Training Exercise at Fort Lee, Va., on March 13, 2019.<br>Dani Johnson/U.S. Army
Staff Sgt. Erica Melendres, Team USA, plates a desert at the Joint Culinary Training Exercise at Fort Lee, Va., on March 13, 2019.<br>Dani Johnson/U.S. Army

Marines’ cuisine reigns supreme during international competition for military chefs

It's the first time the service has claimed top honors as the culinary team of the year at the Armed Forces Chef of the Year competition.

An unexploded bomb from World War II was removed from a construction site near Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Sunday, March 17, 2019.<br>James Bolinger/Stars and Stripes
An unexploded bomb from World War II was removed from a construction site near Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Sunday, March 17, 2019.<br>James Bolinger/Stars and Stripes

Workers defuse, remove 500-pound WWII-era bomb near MCAS Iwakuni

Explosive ordnance disposal technicians defused the bomb in two hours, an Iwakuni City crisis-management official said.

The new Marine Corps Exchange at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, shown here on opening day, Thursday, March 14, 2019, cost more than $60 million to build.<br>James Bolinger/Stars and Stripes
The new Marine Corps Exchange at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, shown here on opening day, Thursday, March 14, 2019, cost more than $60 million to build.<br>James Bolinger/Stars and Stripes

Marine Corps’ newest, largest exchange store opens in Japan

The project at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, which cost nearly $70 million, features expanded military and civilian clothing, fitness, electronics and outdoor departments.

A man walks by the Embassy of Germany in central Tokyo, Wednesday, March 6, 2019.<br>Hana Kusumoto/Stars and Stripes
A man walks by the Embassy of Germany in central Tokyo, Wednesday, March 6, 2019.<br>Hana Kusumoto/Stars and Stripes

Japanese police detain Marine who tried to climb fence at German Embassy in Tokyo

The unidentified female Marine assigned to Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12 was on a trip sponsored by MCAS Iwakuni and attempted the climb after a night of drinking.

Lance Cpl. Robert Lehman, a rifleman from 2nd Battalion, 23 Marine Regiment, pictured here Feb. 7, 2019, is fluent in Japanese. <br>Christian Lopez/Stars and Stripes
Lance Cpl. Robert Lehman, a rifleman from 2nd Battalion, 23 Marine Regiment, pictured here Feb. 7, 2019, is fluent in Japanese. <br>Christian Lopez/Stars and Stripes

Marine steps in as impromptu interpreter during exercise in Japan

The linguistic services of Lance Cpl. Robert Lehman, a rifleman who is fluent in Japanese, provided his leaders a bonus; it’s rare for Marines serving in a field unit to be fluent in the local language.