The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Japan Engineer District (USACE JED) attended a technical forum held at the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) in the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo, November 21st, 2024, marking a significant step in the continued strengthening of U.S.-Japan defense cooperations.
This event, hosted by the MoD’s Facilities Engineering, Facilities Construction, and Procurement Division offices, marked the first in-person meeting in nearly five years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It underscored the importance of face-to-face collaboration in advancing military engineering projects and mutual defense objectives.
“The Technical Forum is a highlight opportunity for the engineers of our collective teams to collaborate and share their expertise,” said Rob Baulsir, Deputy Chief of JED’s Engineering Division. “With that, it is with great excitement that the Japan District and the Facilities Construction and Procurement Division have mutually supported the return to this key partnership event, after years of absence due to the pandemic and other challenges.”
As the first in-person forum in several years, this event was seen as an important moment for the USACE and the MoD to reaffirm their shared commitment to defense readiness and cooperation and served as a platform not only for exchanging expertise but also for helping build stronger personal relationships between U.S. and Japanese engineers, paving the way for future collaborations.
“We live in a world that is increasingly complex and full of challenges. It’s rare to find alliances like ours—where we come together regularly as a technical group to address real-world issues and collaborate on solutions with shared goals,” said Stephen Karwan, JED’s Engineering Division Chief. “What we’re doing here is significant, and it sets a strong example of what true partnership looks like.”
These areas are vital for ensuring both nations’ defense readiness in the face of regional security challenges, such as potential tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.
“It’s imperative that we continue to share our talents, skills, and knowledge with each other as the engineering community moves forward,” noted Karwan. “Collaboration is key to ensure we’re ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow.”
The gathering brought together engineers, planners, and senior leaders from both USACE and the MoD, marking a significant milestone in the return to normalcy for U.S. – Japan engineering cooperation opportunities.
Teams of American and Japanese professionals were divided into groups relating to their shared specialties: General Affairs, Architecture, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering where they were able to share concepts, strategies, and similarities between the host nation and its guests.
During the forum, discussions focused on various technical issues related to military infrastructure, including the construction and upkeep of facilities, energy resilience, sustainability in military design, and the integration of new technologies into existing military structures.
Experts from both sides shared insights on best practices, innovative engineering solutions, and the challenges posed by new security threats that require adaptive infrastructure strategies.
The technical forum emphasized the critical role of collaboration in ensuring that military bases and installations across Japan remain capable of supporting both the U.S. and Japanese forces in a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape.
“My Okinawa engineering team regularly partners with the Okinawa Defense Bureau engineers in the dozens of projects we execute together – so it was very helpful for many on my team to also collaborate with the Ministry of Defense engineers at today’s event,” said Kenton Odo, Engineering Design Branch Chief for JED. “This forum provided an opportunity to strengthen the unity within the Japan Engineer District, which includes dozens of engineers in our Okinawa Area Office and dozens of engineers at our Camp Zama headquarters.”
The visit to the MoD ran well into the late hours of the night, with conversations fueled by the shared passion of engineering – one that transcends cultural boundaries.
In the aftermath of the forum, both parties expressed optimism about the future of U.S.-Japan military infrastructure projects and the potential for continued innovation and partnership, with expressed hope that next year’s forum can be held at the Camp Zama-based JED headquarters.
One thing is for certain though, JED and MoD’s commitment to the alliance is stronger than ever and will continue to strengthen through events like the annual technical forum.
“The Japan Engineer District and the MoD Facilities Construction Division share a common goal of delivering quality facilities for the defense of the Alliance,” expressed Baulsir. “The Technical Forum is the highlight venue for engineers to collaborate with fellow engineers and represents the strength of the US-Japan alliance.”
