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August 23, 2004
[Have an opinion about the issues discussed in this article?
Sound
off in our Discussion Boards.]
By David Allen
Stars and Stripes Pacific Edition
GINOWAN, Okinawa — Six CH-53D Sea Stallion heavy-lift helicopters
left Marine
Corps Air Station Futenma on Sunday for duty with the Okinawa-based
31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in Iraq.
The resumption of flight operations for
the Sea Stallions took place nine days after another Sea Stallion
clipped an administration building on the campus of Okinawa International
University and burst into flames after it crashed. Flights were
resumed after an initial investigation showed the accident was “solely
unique” to the helicopter involved.
The three Hawaii-based crew members, on
Okinawa as part of a six-month Unit Deployment Program, survived
the crash but all flight activity at the base, which is next to
the school, was suspended pending safety inspections.
Flights for all aircraft except the Sea
Stallions started again two days after the crash.
Resumption of any flight activity was
met with a resounding chorus of protests from prefectural and local
governments, who had called for all air operations to stop until
the Aug. 13 crash investigation was complete and the findings made
public.
On Saturday, Marine Lt. Gen. Robert L.
Blackman, the island’s top U.S. general, assured Okinawa Gov. Keiichi
Inamine that the Sea Stallions remained on the ground. However,
he announced the resumption of “minimal operational essential helicopter
flying … specifically for deployment of the 31st MEU to the Arabian
Gulf.”
Observers at the Ginowan City Municipal
Building on Sunday say they saw the first Sea Stallion take off
at 12:34 p.m. and the sixth leave the base at 12:46 p.m. All six
headed for the USS Essex at the White Beach Naval Facility, a city
spokesman said.
At 12:22 p.m. the Marines issued a news
release announcing the flights.
“CH-53D helicopters will depart from Marine
Corps Air Station Futenma today in order to support the operational
combat deployment of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit,” the release
stated. “The 31st MEU is executing an immediate deployment order
from the U.S. Secretary of Defense for combat operations in U.S.
Central Command’s area of responsibility in support of Operation
Iraqi Freedom. “CH-53Ds represent the MEU’s heavy- lift capability,”
the statement continued. “Inclusion of these assets for the deployment
is required to ensure that the commander is prepared to execute
assigned missions across a wide spectrum of contingency operations.”
The release stressed that “the results
of an essential phase of the investigation into the cause of the
August 13, CH-53D Sea Stallion mishap in Ginowan City, have led
to the determination that the cause was solely unique to the CH-53D
involved.”
The initial findings indicate that a “small
retaining device in a subcomponent of the tail rotor assembly was
missing, leading to a loss of tail rotor control,” according to
the press release.
Debris from the helicopter fell over a
residential neighborhood in the immediate area, damaging buildings
and vehicles; no civilian injuries were reported. The school was
on summer break at the time. “The Marine Corps takes safety on the
air and ground very seriously,” the Marine news release stated.
“During the investigation of the cause of the accident, all CH-53D
Sea Stallion flights had been temporarily suspended. Every CH-53D
helicopter has since been thoroughly inspected for safety and cleared
to resume mission essential flights.”
However, a Marine Corps spokeswoman said
Sunday afternoon, the Sea Stallions still at MCAS Futenma “remain
in suspended status.”
The Marines declined to disclose how many
helicopters remain at the Futenma facility. Okinawa officials’ reaction
to the flight of the Sea Stallions was swift.
“The Okinawa Prefectural Government filed
a protest with the Marines at 1:05 p.m.,” said Tadanobu Higa, chief
of the prefecture’s military affairs office. “It was only yesterday
that the governor strongly requested [the Marines] hold all flight
operations at the air station.
“Despite his request, the same type of
helicopter that crashed has resumed operations,” Higa said. “Such
conduct grates against the sensibilities of the Okinawa people and
is absolutely not acceptable.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also filed
a protest in Tokyo.
“It is extremely regrettable that the
United States has resumed use of the CH-53D despite the opposition
of the Japanese government,” read a MOFA statement. “We strongly
protest the use of this model when there has been no proper explanation
of the cause of the accident, nor of steps taken to prevent recurrence.”
Ginowan Mayor Yoichi Iha held a news conference
Sunday afternoon.
“It was very shocking and stunning to
see the helicopters fly out of the air station,” Iha said.
“Because it was only yesterday that General
Blackman assured Governor Inamine that flight operations at the
air station would be minimal, I took it for granted that the CH-53D
helicopters would remain grounded,” he said. “In the midst of all
of the protests on Okinawa, this is like pouring oil into a fire.”
Iha said Sunday’s flights showed that
“to pursue their mission, the residents of Okinawa are not in [the
Marines’] minds at all.
“Such conduct shows that the military
regards Okinawa still under military control, disrespecting Japan’s
sovereignty,” he read from a prepared statement. “Ginowan City has
repeatedly file protests against the accident and demanded a halt
to all flight operations. No matter under what circumstances, it
is absolutely unacceptable for the military helicopters to fly over
our community.”
He demanded an end to all flights at the
air station; that the helicopters deploying with the 31st MEU not
return to the base and that remaining helicopters be moved to “Hawaii
or other military bases;” and that the U.S. and Japanese governments
“immediately start negotiations on the closure of the air station.”
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