Lance Cpl. Victor Diaz picks up plastic bottles during a beach cleanup Feb. 24 at Sunabe Seawall, Okinawa, Japan. Twenty-one Marines with the Single Marine Program from Camp Courtney visited the seawall to help clean up debris along the beach. Diaz is a network administrator with Headquarters Battalion, 3rd Marine Division. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pfc. Nicole Rogge) - CHATAN TOWN, OKINAWA, Japan- Lance Cpl. Victor Diaz picks up plastic bottles during a beach cleanup Feb. 24 at Sunabe Seawall, Okinawa, Japan.

Lance Cpl. Naomi Felio talks with an elderly man Dec. 15 at the Okinawa Airakuen Sanatorium in Nago, Okinawa, Japan. - Lance Cpl. Naomi Felio talks with an elderly man Dec. 15 at the Okinawa Airakuen Sanatorium in Nago, Okinawa, Japan. Since 1938, the Nago Airakuen Sanatorium has been a convalescent home for leprosy patients or ex-leprosy patients. Service members from across Okinawa joined together to travel north to share their Christmas spirit with an elderly group who lives at the sanatorium. Felio is a landing support specialist with 3rd Transportation Support Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 3, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Danielle R. Prentice)

Marines are recognized for their voluntary work at the Winter 2017 Dance Showcase Dec. 14 at Koza Music Town, Okinawa, Japan. The showcase featured variety of dance styles such as, ballet, tap and contemporary. The dancers perform at many events throughout the year, competing with local dance studios across the island. Marines assisted the girls with their speedy costume changes and comforting the dancers backstage. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Pvt. Nicole Rogge) - KOZA MUSIC TOWN, OKINAWA, Japan- Marines are recognized for their voluntary work at the Winter 2017 Dance Showcase Dec. 14 at Koza Music Town, Okinawa, Japan.

Marines with Combat Logistics detachment 333, Combat Logistics Battalion 4, Combat Logistics Regiment 3, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, pose for a photo with students from Ocheon high school May 30 in Pohang, South Korea. During the visit, Marines and sailors led classes on American culture and worked with students to improve their English skills. The service members spent a week at the school to ensure all the students had an opportunity to talk with them. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jessica Collins) - Marines with Combat Logistics detachment 333, Combat Logistics Battalion 4, Combat Logistics Regiment 3, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, pose for a photo with students from Ocheon high school May 30 in Pohang, South Korea. During the visit, Marines and sailors led classes on American culture and worked with students to improve their English skills. The service members spent a week at the school to ensure all the students had an opportunity to talk with them. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Jessica Collins)

Petty Officer 3rd Class Barry Whitfield, left, prepares to draw blood from Petty Officer 3rd Class Joshua Seitz June 23, at the Pacific Command Armed Services Blood Bank Center U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa. Whitfield is a lab technician with the center and is making sure the barcodes on the blood bags match each other. This ensures blood donations won’t be misplaced during shipping. Seitz, a corpsman at the USNH Okinawa mother-infant care center, is a Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania native. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Jessica Collins/Released) - Petty Officer 3rd Class Barry Whitfield, left, prepares to draw blood from Petty Officer 3rd Class Joshua Seitz June 23, at the Pacific Command Armed Services Blood Bank Center U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa. Whitfield is a lab technician with the center and is making sure the barcodes on the blood bags match each other. This ensures blood donations won’t be misplaced during shipping. Seitz, a corpsman at the USNH Okinawa mother-infant care center, is a Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania native. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Jessica Collins/Released)

Marines with 3rd Intelligence Battalion play with preschoolers during the “Play in English Program” at the Suginoko Preschool in Kin Town, Okinawa. The children learned how to say how they feel, the Marines names and the sing/dance to ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.’ The Marines volunteer for the preschool every month to help the students expand their English vocabulary, and also for the Marines to better understand the Japanese language. The Marines are with 3rd Intel Bn, III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, III MEF - Marines with 3rd Intelligence Battalion play with preschoolers during the “Play in English Program” at the Suginoko Preschool in Kin Town, Okinawa. The children learned how to say how they feel, the Marines names and the sing/dance to ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.’ The Marines volunteer for the preschool every month to help the students expand their English vocabulary, and also for the Marines to better understand the Japanese language. The Marines are with 3rd Intel Bn, III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, III MEF

Marines and their families prepare plates of local Okinawan food at a party Oct. 30 at Hikarigaoka Nursing Home. The party was held to thank Marines who have been volunteering at the nursing home for more than two decade. The party consisted of three major events. First, local Okinawan foods were served, followed by the Marines and staff dancing to several songs, then karaoke of American and Japanese songs. The Marines are with 7th Communication Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force. - Marines and their families prepare plates of local Okinawan food at a party Oct. 30 at Hikarigaoka Nursing Home. The party was held to thank Marines who have been volunteering at the nursing home for more than two decade. The party consisted of three major events. First, local Okinawan foods were served, followed by the Marines and staff dancing to several songs, then karaoke of American and Japanese songs. The Marines are with 7th Communication Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force.

CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan — Lance Cpl. Viviana R. Martinez, a Yuba City, California, native, works at her desk July 3 at Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan. Martinez was recently selected to participate in the Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force, a battalion comprised of 500 Marines, a fourth of them being females, for a yearlong volunteer program designed to evaluate female Marines under combat arms predeployment conditions. The program will assess how women integrate into combat arms military occupational specialties. Martinez is slated to report to the School of Infantry-East to begin training July 22 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Martinez is a supply administration and operations specialist with Marine Wing Communications Squadron 18, Marine Air Control Group 18, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force. - CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan — Lance Cpl. Viviana R. Martinez, a Yuba City, California, native, works at her desk July 3 at Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan. Martinez was recently selected to participate in the Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force, a battalion comprised of 500 Marines, a fourth of them being females, for a yearlong volunteer program designed to evaluate female Marines under combat arms predeployment conditions. The program will assess how women integrate into combat arms military occupational specialties. Martinez is slated to report to the School of Infantry-East to begin training July 22 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Martinez is a supply administration and operations specialist with Marine Wing Communications Squadron 18, Marine Air Control Group 18, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force.

Cpl. Ricardo Gonzalez, right, is handed a rake from Yoshihisa Asahi during a beach cleanup May 20, 2014, at Matsuda-no-Hama Beach. Gonzalez has been chosen by the American Legion to receive the Spirit of Service Award at a national convention Aug. 26, 2014, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Gonzalez is a San Jose, California, native and Marine Air-Ground Task Force planning specialist with Headquarters Company, 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force. - Cpl. Ricardo Gonzalez, right, is handed a rake from Yoshihisa Asahi during a beach cleanup May 20, 2014, at Matsuda-no-Hama Beach. Gonzalez has been chosen by the American Legion to receive the Spirit of Service Award at a national convention Aug. 26, 2014, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Gonzalez is a San Jose, California, native and Marine Air-Ground Task Force planning specialist with Headquarters Company, 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force.

Lance Cpl. Amelia Williams, left, enjoys a cookout with the children of the Nagomi Nursing Home for Children June 22 in Nago. The children experienced American culture through interaction with the Marines. Williams is a Bremerton, Washington, native and a radio operator with 3rd Marine Logistics Group currently assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, III Marine Expeditionary Force. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brittany A. James/Released) - Lance Cpl. Amelia Williams, left, enjoys a cookout with the children of the Nagomi Nursing Home for Children June 22 in Nago. The children experienced American culture through interaction with the Marines. Williams is a Bremerton, Washington, native and a radio operator with 3rd Marine Logistics Group currently assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, III Marine Expeditionary Force. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brittany A. James/Released)