CAMP ZAMA, Japan – Nearly 40 master labor contractors at U.S. Army Medical Department Activity-Japan had the memorable experience of flying aboard a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter Thursday as part of an employee appreciation day.
The four flights, which were conducted by U.S. Army Aviation Battalion-Japan, flew over Camp Zama, Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji, Yokota Air Base and Yokosuka Naval Base to provide employees a bird’s-eye view of medical facilities at those locations.
A pot luck lunch was also prepared for the employees as a way for MEDDAC-J to further thank its workforce.
"We believe when we take care of our people, they are going to be able to take better care of our patients,” said Maj. Jared Brynildsen, deputy commander for administration at MEDDAC-J.
All MLC employees at the unit were offered a seat on a flight. Among those who went was Hiroaki Soma, a housekeeper at BG Sams U.S. Army Health Clinic.
Soma, who has worked at the clinic for 12 years, said the flight was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him. But, at first, he said he was worried about it, since he has a fear of heights.
“I was half excited and half nervous,” he said. “When we started to fly, it was a little scary, but after that it was a beautiful view and nice weather. It wasn't too windy and the helicopter was very stable. It was much better than I had thought.”
When he told his family and friends about the flight, Soma said they were impressed and he hopes it will be something he can reflect on years later.
“Maybe 40 years from now, I will remember, ‘Wow, that was awesome,’” he said. “It was a memorable event.”
It was also the first time for Sachiko Fukada, a nurse at the clinic, to fly on a helicopter. She had the chance to sit in the crew chief seat during her flight, which allowed her to have a better view.
“I felt so good, especially [since the windows were open]; you could feel the air,” she said. "It was an amazing experience.”
Fukada, who has worked four years at the clinic, said employees who have been there longer told her that this type of event has never happened before. She believes the unique opportunity will help increase morale across the unit.
“That was one of the happiest moments ever in my life, and I hope it happens again,” she added, smiling. “I think we all felt the same way. We really appreciated everything.”
The planning process for the flights began in the spring and involved a lot of coordination with the aviation battalion and approvals being routed up to the U.S. Army Japan commander.
Staff Sgt. Justin Akers, an operations noncommissioned officer at the clinic and who also helped organize the event, said it was worth all the effort after hearing the reactions from the employees.
“I see a lot of the thankless labor they do — the overtime or them trying to squeeze in all their work into their time period,” he said of the MLC employees. “They're excellent workers and they care about their job, so it felt good to see how happy it made them.”
MLCs comprise about one-third of the unit and Brynildsen said they provide a continuous presence while Soldiers and Army civilians rotate in and out every few years.
“The MLCs are the longevity and continuity here,” he said. “They continue to provide so much to this unit.”
Brynildsen was on the flight line and got to witness the beaming faces of MLC employees as they returned from their flights at Kastner Airfield here.
“That was really cool to be able to provide that experience,” he said. “And our aviation brothers and sisters really appreciated that, too. They talked to us afterwards and said that they were really happy to be part of it.”
The MLC employees were then treated to an American-style lunch at the clinic. Since the employees help set up office celebrations and bring in Japanese food to share throughout the year, their American counterparts chose to pamper them this time.
Soldiers and Army civilians brought in some of their favorite dishes, which included an array of choices from Hawaiian to even Kenyan food.
“They are always bringing all this food in for us,” Brynildsen said, “so we wanted to give them a taste of the diversity in America and all the different backgrounds and flavors.
“We wanted to treat them for once,” he added. “We wanted them to appreciate it and take it all in.”
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