JAAGA recognizes Airman for bilateral work

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Rachel Martinez
  • 35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --  A Japanese organization recently recognized a U.S. Airman for his work in fostering bilateral relationships.

Master Sgt. Michael Wachob, 35th Maintenance Squadron, received an award from the Japan-America Air Force Goodwill Association during a ceremony Feb. 19.

The Japan-America Air Force Goodwill Association, or JAAGA, aims to promote friendship and mutual understanding between the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Air Force. The organization, established in 1996, is composed mainly of retired JASDF members, with former U.S. Forces Japan members welcome to join as honorary members.

Annually, JAAGA recognizes a USAF and JASDF Airman who have played a large role in building mutual understanding and friendships between the two nations. Sergeant Wachob was chosen to receive the award for his work with the International Relations Committee over the past year.

"It was a great honor to receive the award," Sergeant Wachob said. "I was excited, but the award is for the program and the people who have pushed the program. We are all part of it."

Sergeant Wachob's bilateral work began long before he heard of JAAGA and their award. He has spent 11 years of his Air Force career serving in Japan. As a 19-year-old Airman in Okinawa, Sergeant Wachob said he initially noticed only the differences between the U.S. and Japanese cultures, but as he began to get involved with the people and culture, he realized there are more similarities than differences.

"Eventually, I realized that if you only recognize the differences you sell yourself short," he said. "Cultural exchanges allow you to get over that and find out that we're really the same. It took me a while, but I finally discovered that."

Sergeant Wachob first began cultivating friendships with his JASDF counterparts at Misawa as a technical sergeant working in the aerospace ground equipment shop. What began as a visit with the JASDF AGE shop seven years ago grew into bilateral barbecues and holiday parties and blossomed from there.

With promotion to master sergeant, Sergeant Wachob joined the Misawa Top Three and eventually became co-chair of the International Relations Committee where he was charged with furthering bilateral relationships with JASDF through bilateral exchanges, socials, and etc.

Along with the IRC, Sergeant Wachob has helped to organize multiple bilateral exchanges, including four exchanges with Chitose Air Base each year. The exchanges bring together JASDF and USAF Airmen and immerse them in each other's culture for a week at a time.

"Initially we tried to pair up people in the same jobs, but we found out it doesn't need to happen that way," Sergeant Wachob said. "It's cultural - you don't need to be in the same job to learn something from each other."

Each bilateral exchange aims to include new enlisted Airmen, he added.

"It's great at the grassroots level for the enlisted corps to interact with their counterparts and see how our goals are really the same," said Sergeant Wachob. "We get to see the obvious differences - the food, language, culture - but we are both military and share a lot of the same ideologies. The bilateral exchanges really showcase our differences and highlight our similarities."

The biggest benefit of bilateral exchanges are the life-long friendships developed, said Sergeant Wachob. He is getting ready to leave Japan for a new assignment this spring and said the hardest thing will be to leave all the great friends he has made through the various cultural and bilateral exchanges. As he prepares to leave this country he has spent 11 years in, he has some advice for Airmen new to Japan.

"We need to be ambassadors. By getting involved in cultural programs and building friendships, we are ambassadors," he said. "Get into the culture. You are here - live it to its fullest and meet as many people as you can. This is an opportunity most of us would not have without the military."

Finally, Sergeant Wachob aimed to remind Airmen with regards to bilateral interaction and cultural exchange by stating, "You get out of it more than you put into it. It's something to be valued."