This website was created and maintained from May 2020 to May 2021 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Stars and Stripes operations in the Pacific.
It will no longer be updated, but we encourage you to explore the site and view content we felt best illustrated Stars and Stripes' continued support of the Pacific theater since 1945.
Japan
Sonobuoys, 1977
Acoustic monitoring devices called sonobuoys are loaded into the belly of a submarine-tracking P3C Orion aircraft from Patrol Squadron 40 prior to a patrol over the Pacific Ocean.
US, Japan finalize agreement narrowing SOFA for contractors
The United States and Japan signed an agreement Monday that could end Status of Forces Agreement coverage for some military contractors without specialized skills.
Trans-Pacific Partnership withdrawal muddles Asia-Pacific security picture
President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from an economic agreement favored by many in Asia has left Japan and others worried that American-led security in the region will decline as a result.
Japan pays enough for US military bases, Nikkei poll says
Japanese citizens do not want to pay more for hosting U.S. military personnel and are now more likely to predict a downturn in bilateral relations, according to a Nikkei poll released Monday.
Mattis: US will defend contested Senkaku Islands on Japan’s behalf
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis chastised China on Saturday for “shredding the trust” of its neighbors, while reaffirming that the United States would defend Japan-administered islands claimed by China if they were ever attacked.
Former USS George Washington commander to take helm of Naval Forces Japan
A former commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington will be returning to Yokosuka as commander of Naval Forces Japan and Navy Region Japan, the Defense Department announced Wednesday in Washington.
Japan considers missiles to deter N. Korea, strengthen US alliance
Japan’s ruling party is considering for the first time a missile counterstrike capability that could complement U.S. efforts to deter North Korea, despite opposition concerns over the proposal’s legality under Japan’s pacifist constitution.
