Service members, Japanese locals clean beach, port

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Capt. Mario Tellez, 35th Civil Engineering Squadron Readiness and Emergency Management flight commander, scans the area for trash along the Misawa Port and Beach, April 10. More than 300 base members and Japanese community volunteers attended the 13th annual cleanup effort. Volunteers spent the morning picking up trash, which was followed by an afternoon cook out to celebrate. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Jessica Lockoski)

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Master Sgt. Brian Spalding, 35th Fighter Wing Flight Safety office NCO, loads trash into a plastic bag during the 13th Annual Misawa Port and Beach cleanup, at Misawa Air Base, Japan, April 10, 2010. The annual event cleared the port and beach of debris and large items washed ashore onto the rocks and beach title wall barriers. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Jessica Lockoski)

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Service members, Japanese locals clean beach, port

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan – Base family members, Lisa Vargas and daughter, Jordys Vargas, 4, pick up trash along near the Pacific Ocean coast at the 13th Annual Misawa Beach and Port clean up event April 10. In recognition of Earth Day, held in April, the event was led by Misawa City and Fishery Association and Misawa Air Base to encourage public interest in protecting the environment. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Jessica Lockoski)

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More than 300 volunteers from Misawa Air Base and the local Japanese community volunteered at the 13th Annual Misawa Port and Beach cleanup event, April 10, 2010. Volunteers recovered approximately 8,000 pounds of debris and trash from the area. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Jessica Lockoski)

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Petty Officer Second Class Steve Austin, from the Misawa Navy Air Facility Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Detachment, wriggles trash lodged in coastline rocks during the 13th Annual Misawa Port and Beach cleanup event April 10, 2010. The cleanup event was a joint effort between volunteers from Misawa Air Base and the local Japanese community. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Jessica Lockoski)

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Service members, Japanese locals clean beach, port

Published April 12, 2010
By Senior Airman Jessica Lockoski
35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Combat boots were swapped for rubber galoshes April 11 when Misawa Airmen, Sailors and their family members cleaned up Misawa's Port and Beach area in advance of Earth Day.

Organized by volunteers from the 35th Civil Engineering Squadron and Misawa Fishing Association, the 13th annual ecological event brought out nearly 300 base members and local Japanese residents to the shore lines and fishing docks, which amassed approximately four tons of trash.

The base first proposed the event in 1997 to encourage a public interest in protecting the environment, promoting bilateral interests with the Japanese community.

The beach and port cleanup is one of the largest environmental awareness projects held here during the year that brings the community together to work, said 1st Lt. Matthew Adams, 35th CES deputy chief of environmental element. The cleanup impacts everyone by allowing a safe, garbage-free environment for people to enjoy.

In the past two years, the cleanup project has been recognized country-wide by the National Association of Fisheries Infrastructure in Tokyo, the Misawa City Office and Misawa Fishing Port.

Not only did service members attend the joint effort, some made the occasion a family affair by bringing along their children, who dragged along plastic bags for trash and hunted down even the smallest pieces of debris with their parents.

"We decided to take my girls because, we had been looking for something to do as family, and the port clean up gave that opportunity," said Staff Sgt. Daniel Vargas, 35th Fighter Wing civil law paralegal, who brought his wife, Lisa and their two daughters, Jordys and Jenna. "We got to spend some time together and help out the community. Overall, it was a good experience; the weather was nice, a lot of people came out, and my girls really enjoyed themselves."