The following news briefs are provided to help keep our community informed about what’s happening on our U.S. Army Garrison Japan installations.
To submit your information for publication, email full details (who, what, when, where, why and how, along with contact information) to usag.japan@gmail.com.
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Camp Zama Post Office Closure for Japanese Holiday
The Camp Zama Post Office (Bldg. 450) will be closed on Aug. 11 for the Japanese holiday of Mountain Day.
However, the Community Mailroom (Bldg. 451) will be open for normal business hours from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Incoming mail will be received, sorted and delivered to customers.
Please plan accordingly, and thank you for your patience.
Island Breeze Hawaiian Lawn Party at SHA Outdoor Pool
The Island Breeze Hawaiian lawn party will be held Aug. 13 from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the SHA Outdoor Pool.
The event will feature live Hawaiian music performances, hula dancing, and food and beverages for purchase (including a Hawaiian plate lunch with Kalua pork and rice and macaroni salad).
Admission for the event is free for all active-duty service members and children under 3; $4 for DOD civilians and their dependents; and $5 for host-nation guests and non-SOFA contractors.
Call 262-6132 for more information.
SHA Fitness Center Renovation
An improvement project is currently underway at the Sagamihara Family Housing Area fitness center to build a new gym floor and refurbish its walls. There will be limited use of the facility during the project, which is slated to be completed Aug. 15. Community members can access the facility from its rear doors near the pool entrance instead of the main entrance during this time. For more information, call 263-4664 or 046-407-4664.
Organizational Meeting for Zama Community Theater Group
An organizational and informational meeting will be held Aug. 18 at 5:30 p.m. at the Community Recreation Center auditorium for the Zama Community Theater Group.
The theater group is looking for actors and actresses, volunteers, set and costume designers, sound technicians, and anyone looking to have a lot of fun!
Call 263-7611 for more information.
Temporary Closure of Camp Zama Laundromat
The Camp Zama laundromat will close temporarily beginning Aug. 26 to replace the washers and dryers with new models. The closure is scheduled to last 30 days, and service will resume upon completion of the installation.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
Call 263-4760 for more information.
Adult Pool Night (“SHA-la-POOL-ooza”) 2 Event
The SHA Outdoor Pool will host its second adult pool night Aug. 27 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. The event will feature swimming, food and drinks for purchase, games and prize giveaways, and more!
The cost of admission is $5 per person, and you must be 20 years or older to enter.
A free shuttle bus service will be available, taking passengers from the Camp Zama Commissary parking lot to the SHA Pool at 6, 7 and 9 p.m. The shuttle will go from the SHA Pool back to Camp Zama at 8:30, 9:30 and 10:15 p.m.
Call 262-6132 for more information.
Historical Exploration for Foreigners (Zama City Cultural Properties)
The Zama International Association, or Z.I.A., is hosting a "Historical Exploration for Foreigners" event Sept. 11 from 9 a.m. to noon.
The event is targeted toward non-Japanese who live or work in Zama City. (Japanese guests who accompany them may also participate.) The tour will focus on Zama City cultural properties, such as the Zama Shrine, the Inukeno Shrine, Banjinsui, Ryugan-in, the Suzuka Myojin Shrine and Ayu-no-michi.
The event is free, but the capacity is 20 people on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The deadline to apply is Aug. 31. You can apply by calling 046-251-9000 or 046-206-6493, or you can email z.i.a.040501@kdr.biglobe.ne.jp.
The Z.I.A. office at 2-2887-2 Zama, Zama City, is also open Tuesdays and Friday's from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Guidance on Leashing Dogs While on Base
We are still receiving complaints about residents who are walking their pets without leashes on Camp Zama and the Sagamihara Family Housing Area.
Some people reported that unleashed dogs have acted aggressively toward other residents and pets.
It is mandatory that your pets are on leashes—or in a fenced yard—when outside of your quarters.
To the majority of residents who abide by the rules, thank you for being great neighbors!
To those who choose to ignore the rules, please note that you could face disciplinary or administrative actions, and that violations may result in losing the privilege of living in government housing.
Also, please be reminded to clean up your pet’s waste.
Community members, please report violations to the Housing Office at 263-3527 or the Military Police Station at 263-3002.
COVID-19 Testing No Longer Required for U.S. Entry
(From Japan to United States)
As of June 12, air passengers will not need to get tested and show a negative COVID-19 test result, nor show documentation of recovery from COVID-19, prior to boarding a flight to the United States, regardless of vaccination status or citizenship. Of note, the Centers for Disease Control’s order requiring proof of vaccination for noncitizen nonimmigrants to travel to the United States is still in effect.
(From United States to Japan)
Following an update in Japan travel regulations, members who received a negative molecular (i.e., RT-PCR, LAMP, TMA, NEAR) pre-departure COVID-19 test result are now exempt from entry testing and restriction-of-movement requirements regardless of vaccination status.
For specific questions, contact your chain of command or check the travel.state.gov website here.
Advisory on Mailing Items With Lithium Batteries
Effective immediately, all parcels containing lithium batteries are prohibited in inbound and outbound international mail, and mail to, from, and between overseas military and diplomatic addresses.
Customs forms submitted with items containing lithium batteries will be declared non-mailable, and military post offices will return the item to the sender.
This restriction also applies to AMC flights, due to the parcel entering the domestic network once arriving in the United States.
These immediate changes are necessary to address a rise in incidents involving lithium batteries and other hazardous material.
Items that can contain lithium batteries include: Bluetooth headsets and headphones, cellphones, computer peripherals, digital cameras, e-readers, video game controllers, laptops, smart watches, tablets and smoke, fire and carbon monoxide detectors.
Child and Youth Services Seeking Employees
Looking for a rewarding job with great salary and benefits, where you know you’re making a difference in today’s youth and children? That opportunity is here! Start your career with Army MWR, Child & Youth Services. Check out the opportunities available and apply now by accessing this link: ArmyMWR.com/CYSCareers.
Army Recruiting Office Opens on Camp Zama
An Army recruiting office recently reopened on Camp Zama to better support potential recruits on mainland Japan following a decade-long hiatus. Anyone interested can speak to recruiter Sgt. 1st Class Jason Blowers. Blowers can be reached by email at jason.e.blowers.mil@army.mil. The office is located near the Camp Zama laundromat.
Free COVID-19 Home-Test Kits Available at MEDDAC-Japan
MEDDAC-Japan is now offering free COVID-19 home-test kits. This is available only to our empaneled TRICARE beneficiaries and due to current supply we are limited to one kit per ID cardholder. You are able to pick up your home-test kits at our COVID testing location (blue and white tent in the rear of the clinic). There will be two separate lines, one for testing and one for home-kit pick up. Please ensure that you are in the appropriate line. If you do not have an ID card, you will not be issued a kit or tested. Children under the age of 10 can be validated with a parent’s ID card.
Guidance for Disposing COVID-19 Self-Test Kits
If you use a COVID-19 self-test kit at home, on- or off-post, please follow these directions for disposing of the kits following use. Please follow the same directions for both positive and negative test results.
• Kits with needles cannot be disposed of at garbage collection points. Those kits must be returned to the store where you purchased them.
• After use, place the kit in a plastic bag, tie it tightly to prevent direct contact with the kit, write the date on the outside of the bag, and store it for four days.
• Only the items that are physically used during testing (test vials, swabs, gloves, test strips etc.) need to go through this process, the rest of the test kit packaging, test instructions and other packaging within the kits go into normal trash using standard processes.
• If the test kit comes in contact with the outside of the plastic bag, double up the bag.
• Wash your hands thoroughly under running water with soap after placing the waste in the plastic bag.
• After four days have passed, you can place the bag containing the test kit with other garbage as regular garbage and put it out on the designated collection day.
COVID Testing
MEDDAC-Japan officials now provide COVID-19 testing daily.
Symptomatic: Walk-in symptomatic testing (no appointment necessary) is conducted from 8 to 9:30 a.m.
Close contact / asymptomatic: Personnel who are instructed by MEDDAC-J or a unit contact tracing team can report for testing from 9:30 to 10 a.m.
Pre-travel testing: Personnel requiring testing for travel (official or unofficial) can be tested from 10 to 11 a.m.
Take-home tests can also be picked up at the COVID testing location, which is located in the rear of BG Sams U.S. Army Health Clinic. For more information, call DSN 262-4175 (046-407-4175).
Killer Katanas Roller Derby Team Now Recruiting
The Killer Katanas roller derby team is recruiting community members who are looking for a unique and action-packed activity. Women ages 18 and up at any skill level, as well as men interested in becoming officials, can join the practices, which are currently held Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m. at Arnn Elementary School on the Sagamihara Family Housing Area. To join a practice or for more information, readers can email the team at zamakillerkatanas@gmail.com.
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