WEBVTT 00:00.300 --> 00:02.710 - Marines, sailors, and family members, 00:02.710 --> 00:06.040 welcome to Okinawa, I'm Lieutenant General Eric Smith, 00:06.040 --> 00:08.740 the Commanding General of III Marine Expeditionary Force 00:08.740 --> 00:10.290 and I'm proud to be one of the first 00:10.290 --> 00:11.990 to welcome you to your new home. 00:11.990 --> 00:14.890 My wife Trish and I arrived here just like you 00:14.890 --> 00:18.100 with apprehensions about what things would cost, 00:18.100 --> 00:19.740 how we would communicate by cellphone 00:19.740 --> 00:20.987 back to our families in the States 00:20.987 --> 00:22.960 and what we would do with our free time. 00:22.960 --> 00:24.980 We were a little bit unsure about the language 00:24.980 --> 00:26.830 and we were unsure about what to expect. 00:26.830 --> 00:29.090 After a very short time here on the island 00:29.090 --> 00:30.750 all those apprehensions passed 00:30.750 --> 00:33.310 and we have come to love this island, as you will too. 00:33.310 --> 00:35.440 There is more to do on Okinawa 00:35.440 --> 00:39.020 than you can possibly do in one, two or three years. 00:39.020 --> 00:41.360 Whether you like to snorkel, dive, 00:41.360 --> 00:44.640 just be outdoors, shop it is all here. 00:44.640 --> 00:48.820 This is not a hardship tour I promise you're gonna see that. 00:48.820 --> 00:50.550 With all those good things that are in place 00:50.550 --> 00:54.030 here in Okinawa I want one thing to be very clear to you 00:54.030 --> 00:56.290 we are a war-fighting organization 00:56.290 --> 00:59.783 and our mission is to fight and win tonight. 01:01.090 --> 01:03.710 In order to do that and to protect our allies 01:03.710 --> 01:06.760 and our own country, here in the Indo-Pacific Theater, 01:06.760 --> 01:09.403 we have to be disciplined and well-trained. 01:10.430 --> 01:11.910 I don't wanna give you a lecture 01:11.910 --> 01:13.913 about what to do and not to do. 01:14.940 --> 01:18.560 I'll simply say this we are guests here 01:18.560 --> 01:21.040 in Okinawa and in Japan. 01:21.040 --> 01:23.830 The prefecture of Okinawa is our home 01:23.830 --> 01:26.310 and we're expected to act like good guests. 01:26.310 --> 01:29.120 We have a campaign here called Not 1 Drop, 01:29.120 --> 01:34.120 DUI here, is connoted by 0.03 blood alcohol content 01:35.200 --> 01:36.710 that's less than one third 01:36.710 --> 01:38.550 of what it is in the United States. 01:38.550 --> 01:40.760 What that means is if you have one beer 01:40.760 --> 01:43.600 you are likely gonna be driving under the influence. 01:43.600 --> 01:46.220 Therefore, not one drop. 01:46.220 --> 01:48.850 If you drink, do not drive 01:48.850 --> 01:51.140 you can't afford the consequences, trust me. 01:51.140 --> 01:53.930 I also wanna remind you that as good guests 01:53.930 --> 01:57.130 we have to be part of our Okinawan culture 01:57.130 --> 02:00.250 when I say our, I mean our, we live here, 02:00.250 --> 02:03.550 this is also our home, immerse yourself in the culture, 02:03.550 --> 02:06.530 be polite, be respectful, just be good people, 02:06.530 --> 02:07.447 I know you're good people 02:07.447 --> 02:09.810 and I know the Okinawans will appreciate it. 02:09.810 --> 02:13.180 I have lived in many places in my 31 years in the Navy 02:13.180 --> 02:15.500 and I have never experienced another culture 02:15.500 --> 02:19.180 that is this gracious than that of Okinawa and Japan. 02:19.180 --> 02:20.420 You're gonna love it here 02:20.420 --> 02:23.290 everything about this place will grow on you, 02:23.290 --> 02:24.850 this is gonna be the greatest experience 02:24.850 --> 02:27.130 of your life I'm excited for you, 02:27.130 --> 02:30.120 I wish you all the best, Semper Fidelis. 02:30.120 --> 02:31.863 Be ready to fight and win tonight. 02:32.750 --> 02:34.000 - I'm Master Chief Chris Moore, 02:34.000 --> 02:36.240 the III MEF Command Master Chief. 02:36.240 --> 02:39.470 From my family to yours, welcome to Okinawa. 02:39.470 --> 02:41.210 As General Smith said earlier 02:41.210 --> 02:43.760 Okinawa is a wonderful place to be assigned, 02:43.760 --> 02:45.360 there is a lot of opportunity. 02:45.360 --> 02:47.220 I would ask that each and every one of you, 02:47.220 --> 02:49.430 regardless of what you do, take the opportunity 02:49.430 --> 02:53.100 to go and explore the island but do so with safety. 02:53.100 --> 02:56.390 You are here and you are here for a reason, 02:56.390 --> 02:59.610 at the end of the day III Marine Expeditionary Force 02:59.610 --> 03:02.630 is the fight tonight force and we cannot fight and win 03:02.630 --> 03:04.337 without each and every one of you. 03:05.690 --> 03:07.730 Thank you, welcome to Okinawa 03:07.730 --> 03:10.080 and again, my hope is that you have a wonderful time 03:10.080 --> 03:13.033 here on Okinawa and a safe time, enjoy. 03:14.540 --> 03:17.610 - Hello, my name is Sergeant Major Mario Marquez 03:17.610 --> 03:19.410 and I am the III MEF Sergeant Major. 03:20.420 --> 03:22.650 Welcome to what is probably gonna be 03:22.650 --> 03:26.150 the best duty station you've ever been assigned to. 03:26.150 --> 03:29.150 My wife Yasu and I have been here 14 years 03:29.150 --> 03:31.250 of our 29 years in the Marine Corps 03:31.250 --> 03:33.730 and I can tell you that it's gonna be an amazing tour. 03:33.730 --> 03:35.770 Take the time to learn the Japanese culture. 03:35.770 --> 03:38.660 Here in Okinawa I challenge you to try 03:38.660 --> 03:40.870 and learn the language, to do something different. 03:40.870 --> 03:43.820 III MEF truly is an amazing assignment 03:43.820 --> 03:45.490 you will definitely and absolutely 03:45.490 --> 03:47.140 have the time of your life. 03:47.140 --> 03:49.280 There is an old saying that when families 03:49.280 --> 03:51.990 get orders to Okinawa they leave claw marks 03:51.990 --> 03:53.360 all the way across the Pacific 03:53.360 --> 03:54.710 because they don't wanna come here. 03:54.710 --> 03:56.260 But on the backside of their tour 03:56.260 --> 03:57.800 they also leave claw marks 03:57.800 --> 03:59.210 because they don't wanna leave. 03:59.210 --> 04:02.270 Okinawa is currently the number four duty station 04:02.270 --> 04:03.840 in all of the Department of Defense 04:03.840 --> 04:07.070 only fourth place to three European destinations. 04:07.070 --> 04:09.150 But that makes us number one in the Pacific, 04:09.150 --> 04:10.610 and the goal is to be number one 04:10.610 --> 04:12.600 in the entire Department of Defense. 04:12.600 --> 04:14.500 You are a large contributor to that. 04:14.500 --> 04:16.230 I need you to message your families 04:16.230 --> 04:17.970 and tell them how Okinawa really is 04:17.970 --> 04:19.970 once you have settled in and you've began 04:19.970 --> 04:22.290 your life of fun and adventure. 04:22.290 --> 04:25.095 And as we say here in the culture of Okinawa, 04:25.095 --> 04:26.130 (speaking in foreign language) 04:26.130 --> 04:28.530 which means welcome in the local language. 04:28.530 --> 04:30.760 So on behalf of my wife, Yasu, 04:30.760 --> 04:33.620 on behalf of Lieutenant General Smith and his wife, Trisha, 04:33.620 --> 04:35.750 we welcome you to the III MEF team 04:35.750 --> 04:37.530 and to the best tour that you will have 04:37.530 --> 04:39.983 in your entire career, Semper Fidelis.