7th Fleet Band Cleans Miyakojima Beach

U.S. Navy Releases

MIYAKOJIMA, Japan (NNS) -- The U.S. 7th Fleet Band Far East Edition cleaned the Painagama Beach shoreline in Miyakojima, Japan, Dec. 12.

The project took place one day after the band arrived to the island for a friendship concert. The 23 band members are the most recent Sailors to visit the island since the mine countermeasures ship USS Defender (MCM 2) made a port call visit at Hirara Port in Miyakojima Sept. 21.

U.S. Consulate General Naha Deputy Principal Officer Claire Kaneshiro, said the consulate likes to do community service events whenever there is a visit in the Okinawa prefecture of Japan, by the military where there is no military installation.

"We coordinated with the city of Miyakojima and asked what would be a helpful community relations event for the city," Kaneshiro said. "The city said they would like to do the beach cleanup.

"This is a great grassroots example of our commitment to environmental protection," Kaneshiro said. "While living in Japan we have access to world-class historic sites, amazing natural parks and beaches, and it is a great way of showing of how we view ourselves as part of the community."

The Sailors devoted the early morning to the community service project, landscaping the white sandy beach and picking up trash.

Senior Chief Musician Joe Rundall, 7th Fleet Band senior enlisted leader and assistant director, said it was nice seeing the smiles on the Sailors faces as they picked up trash on the beach.

"It's good to see them do other things than just play music, which is what they normally do all the time," Rundall said. "Community service projects like this help keep Sailors sharp in the event of an actual humanitarian aid mission."

Musician 3rd Class Camellia Akhamie, a drummer for the 7th Fleet Band, said everything went well and this was the second time in her naval career that she took part in a beach cleanup.

"It shows the people who live in the area that we care about other places in the world," Akhamie said.

The Miyakojima visit was a first for the U.S. 7th Fleet Band. The band is traveling throughout the 7th Fleet area of responsibility in the Asian-Pacific region as goodwill ambassadors to the U.S., promoting peace and stability through their music, demonstrating commitment to regional partnerships and to foster growing relationships.