A Marine accused by Japanese prosecutors of sexual assault appeared impaired and behaved strangely before the incident in March 2025 in a Marine Corps gym bathroom, two witnesses testified in a Japanese court recently.

A general with combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan has taken command of the Marine Corps’ only expeditionary force permanently deployed overseas amid heightened security concerns in the Pacific and an ongoing force restructuring.

A jet fuel spill at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa in May 2024 released about 14 times more fuel than the U.S. military originally reported, according to a report obtained by a local environmental organization.

Marine Corps capabilities and tactics are evolving alongside those of the Japanese military as they face increasing threats in the Pacific region, the Marines’ top general in Okinawa said as he prepares to relinquish command.

Japan’s Ishigaki island, a popular southwestern tourist destination and home to a Japanese army base, is battening down for Typhoon Bavi’s expected arrival early Saturday.

Russia, China ‘expanding and intensifying’ naval activity in waters around Japan

U.S. Navy’s Okinawa-based expeditionary force welcomes new commander www.stripes.com/branches/nav...

An annual exercise by the Chinese and Russian navies that began Monday represents a challenge this year to the international order upheld by the U.S. as its diplomatic and military prowess is in question, according to defense analysts.

An F-15EX Eagle II arrived at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa earlier this week for temporary training ahead of a contingent of permanently based aircraft due sometime next year, according to the 18th Wing.

Marines on Okinawa have begun fielding three new missile systems that provide the backbone of a critical island defense network as the Marine Corps continues its shift to littoral warfare.

U.S. Marines and Japanese infantry rained live fire on this training ground on Kyushu recently while rehearsing the means to seize and defend contested islands during the centerpiece drill of this year’s Resolute Dragon.

A U.S. Air Force veteran who recently died while snorkeling in Okinawa helped launch an Alaska organization that takes veterans out on the grueling Iron Dog snowmobile race.

A U.S. civilian who died Wednesday while snorkeling at a popular beach in southern Okinawa was an Air Force veteran deployed to Kadena Air Base from Alaska, the 18th Wing announced.

U.S. military bases on Okinawa were bracing Thursday for Tropical Storm Mekkhala, the second storm to target the island in a month.

U.S. Marines and Navy sailors on Wednesday demonstrated how their temporary port would deliver aid and medical care on remote islands where the local infrastructure is out of commission.

A U.S. civilian with the Air Force on Okinawa died Tuesday while snorkeling near a popular beach, according to the Japan coast guard.

Thousands gathered at Peace Memorial Park on Tuesday to reflect on the horrors of war during ceremonies marking the 81st anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa.

The U.S. Army will deploy its mid-range missile system, Typhon, to Japan’s southernmost main island for the first time during two major exercises planned for this month and September.

The last of six Basque-American troops killed during the Battle of Okinawa will soon join nearly 250,000 other names on a memorial honoring those who died in one of World War II’s bloodiest fights.

Japanese prosecutors will not charge a U.S. soldier who was accused of sexually assaulting a woman on Okinawa in April.

A general who rose through the enlisted ranks is back on Okinawa to lead Marine Corps installations across the Pacific.

A Japanese woman testified Tuesday in a Japanese court that a U.S. Marine climbed into a bathroom stall at a Marine Corps gym in March 2025, pinned her to the door and sexually assaulted her.

An Okinawa-based U.S. soldier has been sentenced to 20 months in prison after pleading guilty to possessing more than 1,100 child sexual abuse images.

Nearly 1,100 enlisted Marines will soon move into a new barracks complex featuring private bedrooms and modern amenities as part of a broader effort to upgrade military housing on Okinawa.

A Japanese court on Thursday ordered a U.S. Marine convicted of choking and attempting to sexually assault a woman to pay the victim about $41,200 in compensation plus interest.

A Japanese court has ordered a U.S. airman convicted of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a teenage girl to pay about $20,600 in compensation, increasing an earlier award after he challenged the ruling.

Japanese V-22 Ospreys are set to operate from a U.S. Marine Corps base on Okinawa for the first time and conduct flights to islands near Taiwan during a major joint exercise focused on island defense, according to Japan’s Ministry of Defense.

Typhoon Jangmi — the first major storm to strike Okinawa in nearly three years — passed over the island Monday evening with little damage reported at U.S. military installations despite strong winds and scattered power outages.

Okinawa, including scores of U.S. military bases, battened down Monday and braced for Jangmi, the first typhoon to hit the island in nearly three years.

Okinawa authorities and U.S. military leaders have met for a second time to review the progress of cooperative measures over the past year to stem criminal behavior by U.S. service members.

Five U.S. airmen attending a leadership course at Kadena Air Base received Air Force Achievement Medals after aiding an injured Japanese man on a beach off central Okinawa.

Japanese police have referred a U.S. soldier to prosecutors over allegations he sexually assaulted and injured a woman on Okinawa last month, the latest in a string of cases involving American service members on the island since late 2023.

The first F-15EX Eagle II multirole fighters may arrive on Okinawa in 2027, almost a year behind their original delivery schedule, according to the Air Force’s top civilian.

More than 800 people were evacuated Thursday from a city in central Okinawa while the Japanese army removed an American-made bomb believed to be left over from World War II.

A U.S. Marine accused of sexually assaulting a Japanese woman and injuring another will rely on a defense of insanity due to a sleep disorder when his case comes to trial in June, his attorney said Wednesday.

Marines took their first steps toward using drones in combat and relief missions as they practiced maneuvering the unmanned aircraft through obstacles at Camp Schwab in northern Okinawa on Wednesday.

The Marine Corps has left a gap “unfilled” in the Indo-Pacific by moving an expeditionary unit from Okinawa to the Middle East to support operations against Iran, the service’s top leader told lawmakers.

A Marine Corps investigation found that “ignorance” and procedure failures led to a helicopter dropping a 40-pound bag of emergency equipment over northern Okinawa last year.

Ten Russian ships, including four naval vessels, sailed between Japan’s southwestern islands this week, an event a Joint Staff spokesman called “rare to see.”

Marines on Okinawa are learning to build and fly surveillance and attack drones in new courses designed to help the service scale up its use of unmanned aircraft as the technology revolutionizes warfare.

U.S. service members who live off-base on Okinawa will soon receive $400 to $500 more per month from the U.S. government to pay their rent, according to the commander of the Air Force’s 18th Wing.

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION FUTENMA, Okinawa — Rainy season failed to dampen the spirits of thousands of Japanese and Americans who turned up for the annual Flight Line Fair at this air base over the weekend.

Chinese pilots last year dramatically scaled back their approaches toward Japanese airspace, reducing Japan’s air force response to its lowest level in more than a decade, according to Japan’s Joint Staff.

Two squadrons of F-22 Raptors recently arrived at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa for rotational duty with the 18th Wing, while a permanent fleet of replacement F-15EX Eagle IIs remains delayed.

The Defense Department high school at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, Japan, is warning parents about a viral social media game in which seniors target each other with water guns.

The Japanese army’s highest operational command will focus on remote southwestern islands near Taiwan for the first time in training that includes command-and-control drills with U.S. Marines.

A Chinese research vessel operating in waters near Japan’s southwestern islands for nearly two weeks left the area early Wednesday, the third such incident in a month, according to Japan’s coast guard.

Two student teams on Okinawa were among winners from nine Defense Department schools who used artificial intelligence to solve problems in a first-ever national competition.

A Marine corporal died over the weekend after his motorcycle collided with a taxi outside a U.S. base in central Okinawa, according to the Marine Corps and police.

Lt. Gen. Roger Turner was nominated by President Donald Trump to command Marine Corps Forces Pacific and Fleet Marine Force Pacific, both based at Camp H.M. Smith in Hawaii, the Pentagon announced.