CAMP ZAMA, Japan – U.S. military and Japanese police officers took a break from protecting their communities to protect the plate during a friendly softball game Saturday at Rambler Field here.
U.S. Army Garrison Japan’s Directorate of Emergency Services and the 88th Military Police Detachment invited the Zama and Sagamihara Minami police stations to the installation as a way to strengthen the relationship with their Japanese counterparts and to show their appreciation for the support they provide during Camp Zama’s open-post events throughout the year, said Lt. Col. Brian Pilch, DES director.
DES suggested the cross-organizational softball game after this year’s Independence Day and Bon Odori festivals because of the popularity and cultural significance baseball has in both America and Japan, Pilch said.
“I think everybody was having an amazing time,” Pilch said. “[The game was] not about winning. It was about the partnership [we have] and playing together.”
Staff Sgt. Jeremy Bachman, assigned to the 88th MP Det., remembered participating in a similar team-building softball game against the Japanese police the last time he was stationed at Camp Zama. He led the effort to organize Saturday’s event because he remembered how much both he and his Japanese counterparts enjoyed it years ago.
“This was a bilateral engagement meant to bring our two entities together as one and get them to interact not at a professional level, but more at a personal level,” Bachman said. “I think it went excellent. We strengthened our camaraderie, and that’s a win.”
This was the first time for the Sagamihara Minami Police Station to join such an event on Camp Zama, Chief Minoru Itagaki said. The chief said he was very honored to have been invited, and particularly excited to resume joint outdoor athletic events after COVID.
“This event was a great way to enhance our two organizations’ relationship,” Itagaki said. “We had a lot of fun, and I was especially happy to see my staff enjoying some time out of their duty uniform and away from their job.”
This was also the first time for the Zama Police Station to have been invited to Camp Zama for such an event, Chief Inspector Koichi Suzuki said. The Zama police work closely with DES to ensure safety during Camp Zama’s open-post events, but face-to-face recreational events like Saturday’s game help his organization get to know their U.S. military counterparts on a more personal level, Suzuki said.
“My team and I had a great time interacting with our U.S. counterparts, and we all agreed it would be great to continue having similar sporting events in the future to help build our partnership and learn more about each other,” he said.
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