Japan Press Weekly

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2022 April 20 - 26 [US FORCES]

Okinawa's Ginoza Village Assembly protests against USMC ‘hanging drills’

The Ginoza Village Assembly in Okinawa Prefecture on April 20 unanimously adopted resolutions in protest against the U.S. military's flight training exercises involving the hanging of objects.

The U.S. Marine Corps on April 14 conducted the “hanging drills” using MV-22 Osprey aircraft over a residential area in the village.

The village assembly said that it has repeatedly lodged protests over flight training exercises by U.S. military aircraft, but the U.S. military never stops its flight training drills, including late-night flight training, over residential areas. It also said that villagers frequently witness continuous circular flights and flights at altitudes lower than 50 meters, and that their safe and secure everyday lives in peace have been threatened with the possibility of accidents.

Dangerous hanging drills using landing pads at USMC Camp Hansen, which is located very close to the residential area, often take place. In 2017, a USMC helicopter accidently dropped tires during a flight exercise.

Past related article:
> Okinawa JCP protests against tire drop incident by US helicopter [March 10 & 14, 2017]