Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki, left, Okinawa city Mayor Daisuke Hanashiro, in yellow vest, join the commander of Marine Corps Installations Pacific, Maj. Gen. Brian Wolford, for a joint patrol of Gate 2 Street near Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, April 18, 2025. (Keishi Koja/Stars and Stripes)
The first formal forum between U.S. military and Okinawan leaders is set to convene May 9, a move proposed last year in response to a series of sexual assault allegations involving American service members on the island.
The forum aims to enhance communications and build mutual understanding between U.S. forces and the Okinawa community, U.S. Forces Japan said in a statement Tuesday.
Representatives from Okinawa’s prefectural government, local police, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Okinawa Liaison Office, the Okinawa Defense Bureau, the U.S. Consulate General in Naha, and all U.S. service branches are expected to attend.
USFJ declined to disclose the forum’s location in an unsigned email to Stars and Stripes on Wednesday. A spokeswoman for Okinawa’s Military Base Affairs Division also would not provide details during a phone call that day.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass said the forum reflects the two countries’ commitment to listening to host communities and strengthening relations through “sincere and open communication.”
“In this new golden age of U.S.-Japan relations, we continue to nurture our bonds of friendship and respect through sincere and open communication and a culture of cooperation,” he said in USFJ’s release.
The U.S. consul general on Okinawa, Andrew Ou, echoed that sentiment in a Wednesday email to Stars and Stripes, adding that he and his team will attend the meeting.
The idea for the forum was first introduced in July by then-USFJ commander Air Force Lt. Gen. Ricky Rupp, following a sexual assault conviction and a separate attempted assault allegation involving U.S. personnel. Since then, charges have been brought in two additional cases involving U.S. Marines.
Most recently, Pfc. Austin R. Wedington was indicted Wednesday on charges of sexually assaulting a Japanese woman and injuring another at Camp Foster in March.
Marine Lance Cpls. Jamel Clayton and Michael Hofmaster are facing trial in separate sexual assault cases from last year. Clayton is scheduled for trial June 2 in Naha District Court. A date has not been set for Hofmaster.
In December, Air Force Senior Airman Brennon R.E. Washington was convicted of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a minor in 2023. He was sentenced to five years in prison with labor and has appealed.
The forum is expected to address a range of issues, including joint patrols by U.S. military and Okinawa officials in nightlife districts, such as one conducted April 18-19 in Okinawa city, according to USFJ.
Additional topics are under discussion, and the forum is expected to meet regularly, the command said. A charter for the initiative was created after several consultative meetings between U.S. and Japanese officials, though USFJ declined to provide details.
Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki told reporters Wednesday in Naha that the group will discuss preventing incidents involving U.S. military personnel at the forum, the prefecture’s spokeswoman said by phone Wednesday. It’s customary that some Japanese government officials speak to the media on the condition of anonymity.
USFJ’s commander, Air Force Lt. Gen. Stephen Jost, called the meeting “essential for advancing the U.S.-Japan alliance” and that he is “optimistic about the potential for positive outcomes through this forum.”
“Strong relationships with the communities where we live and work is essential for fostering trust,” he said in the release.
Stars and Stripes reporter Keishi Koja contributed to this report.
