CAMP ZAMA, Japan — Maj. Gen. Joel “JB” Vowell celebrated his final Army birthday as commander of U.S. Army Japan with a 3-mile, 5 a.m. run Wednesday around this headquarters garrison just southwest of central Tokyo.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel kept pace with Vowell, who will hand the reins to his successor on Tuesday. About 750 troops from Zama’s Army and Japan Ground Self-Defense units ran with the general and the ambassador on a misty, humid morning to mark the Army’s 248th birthday.
“This is a special event that I think will be in my heart for a while,” Vowell told troops after the run. “I’m proud of each and every one of us. The Army has only 7% of all the military here in Japan. We are small but mighty underdogs that do a lot of great work for the joint force each and every day.”
Maj. Gen. Joel “JB” Vowell, commander of U.S. Army Japan, speaks to American and Japanese troops after a 3-mile run at Camp Zama, Japan, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. The event honored the Army's 248th birthday. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)
Emanuel high-fived troops as they concluded the run, then sliced into birthday cake at Yano Soccer Field. The Army was founded on June 14, 1775, when the Continental Congress authorized enlistment of expert riflemen to serve the rebellious united colonies for one year.
“We had a big debate in America about who represents the 1%, how much wealth they got, how much they accumulate,” Emanuel said after the run. “For me, the true 1% is standing right in front of me. The 1% that volunteer, the 1% that made a choice to do something not for themselves, but for their nation.”
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel speaks to American and Japanese troops after a 3-mile run at Camp Zama, Japan, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. The event honored the Army's 248th birthday. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)
Maj. Gen. Joel “JB” Vowell, commander of U.S. Army Japan, and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel prepare to lead troops on a 3-mile run at Camp Zama, Japan, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. The event honored the Army's 248th birthday. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)
The run marked the first time in years that members from all of Zama’s units came together for a birthday run, said Sgt. Maj. Alex Richardson of U.S. Army Japan plans and operations.
“Noncommissioned officers were calling cadence, pumping the military members in the formations up and getting us motivated, so I had a very good time,” he said.
Emanuel — “a big advocate for families and military members in Japan,” according to Vowell — was confirmed by the Senate as ambassador in December 2021 and arrived in Tokyo last year. Wednesday’s visit was his first to Camp Zama.
“It was fantastic,” Vowell said. “It was a great honor for him to come and do the run with us.”
Troops who joined the run included those from U.S. Army Japan and garrison headquarters; the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade; the Army Aviation Battalion; the 35th Combat Sustainment Support, 78th Signal and 311th Military Intelligence battalions; Medical Department Activity-Japan; and the U.S. Army Japan Band. Airmen of the 374th Communications Squadron from nearby Yokota Air Base and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force 4th Engineers also took part.
The Ground-Self Defense Force troops’ participation symbolizes the spirit of cooperation between the two militaries, Vowell said.
“We work together bilaterally, every day, either here at Zama or other places across Japan,” he said.
Soldiers celebrate the U.S. Army's 248th birthday with an early morning 3-mile run at Camp Zama, Japan, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)
Vowell heads next to Iraq to command Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve.
Maj. Gen. Dave Womack, the deputy commanding general of maneuver for the Army’s V Corps in Germany and Poland, will take over for Vowell next week, according to U.S. Army Japan spokesman Maj. Devon Thomas.
