Erik Slavin, Stars and Stripes

Erik Slavin

Stars and Stripes

Japan

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Past:
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Past articles by Erik:

DODEA students free themselves from overturned school bus near Ramstein Air Base; minor injuries reported

Defense Department students broke their way out of an overturned school bus on a rural road near Ramstein Air Base on Friday, in an accident that resulted in minor injuries and one child taken to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, local officials and students said. → Read More

Outdoor exercise banned in Italy, new restrictions in Germany as countries fight spread of coronavirus

Tens of thousands of U.S. military personnel and their families are among the millions living under new restrictions on activity in Germany and Italy, as the two countries grapple with containing the spread of the coronavirus. → Read More

Bratwursthausle or Roeslein: Who will win between these Nuremberg bratwurst kings?

Nuremberg’s bratwurst is a pretty big deal in Germany’s vast pantheon of sausages. → Read More

Army may need bigger retirement plan perk to sustain officer experience levels, study says

The study comes as the Army moves away from its legacy retirement system, which pays a larger guaranteed amount to soldiers after at least 20 years of service, to a blended system that pays out after less time served. → Read More

Navy names new top enlisted leader

Fleet Master Chief Petty Officer Russell Smith's selection comes following the announced retirement of Steven Giordano as the Navy’s top enlisted leader in June, amid allegations that he fostered a hostile work environment in his office. → Read More

Threatening graffiti prompts cancellations at Okinawa base high schools

Threatening graffiti sparked fears of potential shooting incidents at two Okinawa base high schools, prompting officials to cancel classes and other activities Wednesday. → Read More

Navy to christen first ship named after top enlisted leader

The first ship to bear the name of a master chief petty officer of the Navy will be christened at the Huntington Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., on Saturday. → Read More

Report: Bridge, crewmembers' errors led to deaths aboard 2 Navy destroyers

The two collisions that killed a combined 17 sailors aboard the destroyers USS Fitzgerald and USS John S. McCain resulted from sailors not following procedures and lack of communication between officers and the rest of the ship, a Navy report released Wednesday concluded. → Read More

Search for missing USS Shiloh sailor suspended after exhaustive effort

The Navy and Japan Coast Guard suspended their search at midnight Sunday for a USS Shiloh sailor who officials say likely fell overboard in the Western Pacific this past week. → Read More

Lead detected in water at Navy elementary school in Japan

Water fixtures at the Navy’s Ikego Elementary School in Japan have again registered high levels of lead, though officials say families thus far appear to be unaffected following voluntary blood testing. → Read More

Reagan, Vinson carrier groups team with Japanese off Korean Peninsula; Nimitz on its way

The USS Ronald Reagan and USS Carl Vinson strike groups operated in formation alongside Japanese forces in waters near the Korean Peninsula Thursday, marking the largest display yet of naval power in response to North Korea’s recent ballistic missile tests. → Read More

Navy officer cleared of attempted teen sex-assault charges by military jury

A Navy officer accused of attempted sexual assault of a minor following an Okinawa sting operation was acquitted of five related charges by a court martial jury on Thursday. → Read More

USS Dewey sails near Mischief Reef in challenge to China

The destroyer USS Dewey conducted a freedom-of-navigation operation on Wednesday within 12 nautical miles of Mischief Reef, which is part of the Spratly Island chain. → Read More

Japan’s top officer ‘cannot be optimistic’ about North Korean nuclear progress

The head of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces expressed concerns on Tuesday about North Korea’s progress in building a long-range, nuclear-tipped missile capable of striking the United States. → Read More

Sawyer nominated to head Yokosuka-based 7th Fleet

Rear Adm. Phillip Sawyer is currently the deputy commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, headquartered in Hawaii. His experience includes command of Pacific Fleet’s submarine forces, as well as an earlier command of the Yokosuka-based submarine Group 7. → Read More

USS Ronald Reagan now underway on Asia patrol

The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan departed its Yokosuka homeport Tuesday for its scheduled patrol of the Asia-Pacific region, amid increased concerns about North Korea and questions about how the White House will address China’s claims to the South China Sea. → Read More

Despite Navy requests, no operations near disputed South China Sea islands

The U.S. military hasn’t announced any freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea since last year, signaling a break from earlier Trump administration rhetoric on curbing China’s ambitions. → Read More

Vinson strike group aircraft, ships train while drawing closer to Korean peninsula

Elements of the USS Carl Vinson strike group trained with allies west of the Korean peninsula and south of Japan on Wednesday, as the United States continues to watch for signs of an imminent nuclear weapons test from North Korea. → Read More

Pence: Carrier group will arrive near Korean Peninsula within days

The USS Carl Vinson strike group will be near South Korea “in a matter of days,” Vice President Mike Pence said Saturday as concerns over a potential North Korean nuclear weapons test continue to mount in the Asia-Pacific region. → Read More

Carl Vinson strike group last seen near Indonesia, not the Korean peninsula

If the USS Carl Vinson strike group is heading to the Korean peninsula, it is taking its time. → Read More