United States Army, Japan (USARJ) is a
Major Command Major Command or Major Commands are large formations of the United States Armed Forces. Historically, a Major Command is the highest level of command. Within the United States Army, the acronym MACOM is used for Major Command. Within the United Stat ...
of the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
. It consists of operating port facilities and a series of logistics installations throughout
Honshū and
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
. USARJ participates actively with the
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( ja, 陸上自衛隊, Rikujō Jieitai), , also referred to as the Japanese Army, is the land warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Created on July 1, 1954, it is the largest of the three service b ...
in bilateral training exercises and the development of bilateral plans. It commands and supports
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
assigned units, attached units, and augmentation forces and employs these forces in support of the commander. USARJ maintains and strengthens the credibility of deterrent power in the Pacific through maintenance of defense facilities, war reserves and operational project stocks. USARJ is headquartered at
Camp Zama
is a United States Army post located in the cities of Zama and Sagamihara, in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about southwest of Tokyo.
Camp Zama is home to the U.S. Army Japan (USARJ), I Corps (Forward), U.S. Army Aviation Battalion Japan ...
.
As the Army Component Command to United States Forces Japan (USFJ) and as a Major Subordinate Command of
United States Army Pacific (USARPAC) , United States Army Japan (USARJ)/
I Corps (Forward) is responsible to provide support of Article V (Defense of Japan) and VI (ensuring regional stability) of the
Mutual Security Treaty (MST). It serves as a forward stationed Army command and control headquarters; supports regional security cooperation activities with the Japan Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) for the purpose of contributing to the security of Japan and maintenance of peace and security in the Far East; provides communities of excellence and installation operations that support Soldiers, Civilians, and their Families.
Organization
The following units make up US Army Japan:
* United States Army Japan,
Honshu, Japan
, historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separa ...
**
I Corps (Forward)
**U.S. Army Garrison Japan (Camp Zama)
***
United States Army Aviation Battalion, Japan
***35th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion
***
78th Signal Battalion
***
311th Military Intelligence Battalion
** United States Army Japan Band
**
10th Support Group (Brigade-level logistics)
**
38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade
JAPAN ENGINEER DISTRICT U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
** 1st Battalion/
1st Special Forces Group
The 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) (1st SFG) (A) is a unit of the U.S. Army Special Forces operating under the United States Pacific Command. It is designed to deploy and execute nine doctrinal missions throughout the Indo-Pacific Command ...
** 836th Transportation Battalion
** 835th Transportation Battalion
*
Brigadier General Crawford F. Sams United States Army Health Clinic JapanDENTAC-J** Public Health Activity - Japan
History
![Defense](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Defense.gov_photo_essay_111026-F-RG147-956.jpg)
United States Army Japan (USARJ) can be traced back to the
U.S. Army Forces Far East (AFFE), which was formed in Manila in July 1941. Commanded by General of the Army
Douglas MacArthur, the headquarters (HQ) moved to
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Australia in 1942. After the war, the headquarters first moved to Tokyo, then to Yokohama in 1953, and finally to its present location on Camp Zama in October 1953.
Reorganization of U.S. forces in the Pacific in January 1953 established AFFE as the major Army command in the Far East. AFFE moved to Camp Zama, 35 miles southwest of Tokyo, in October 1953 into a new headquarters building designed by Antonin Raymond. On 20 November 1954, AFFE was combined with the
Eighth US Army
The Eighth Army is a U.S. field army which is the commanding formation of all United States Army forces in South Korea. It commands U.S. and South Korean units and is headquartered at the Camp Humphreys,[Yongsan Garrison
Yongsan Garrison ( ko, 용산기지; Hanja: ), meaning "dragon hill garrison," is an area located in the Yongsan District of central Seoul, South Korea. The site served as the headquarters for U.S. military forces stationed in South Korea, known ...]
,
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...
,
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
, and the Camp Zama command element was designated AFFE/Eighth US Army (Rear). The name, U.S. Army Japan (USARJ), first appeared on 1 July 1957 in a reorganization of US forces in the Pacific.
On 1 July 1957, a U.S. Forces reorganization in the Pacific designated USARJ as one of the major subordinate commands of
U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) in Hawaii. Reorganized again on 1 September 1968, USARJ employed a new structure to maximize operational efficiency while keeping its existing missions and functions.
The reversion of Okinawa to Japanese control on 15 May 1972, resulted in the realignment of the Army's Pacific commands with HQ USARJ absorbing elements for Okinawa, adjusting the command chain.
IX Corps 9 Corps, 9th Corps, Ninth Corps, or IX Corps may refer to:
France
* 9th Army Corps (France)
* IX Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
Germany
* IX Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial Germ ...
was transferred from Okinawa and collocated with this command to become HQ USARJ/IX Corps.
On 1 July 1974, a USARJ reorganization established three subordinate commands: U.S. Army Garrison, Honshu (USAGH); U.S. Army Garrison, Okinawa (USAGO); and the U.S. Army Medical Department Activity-Japan, (MEDDAC-JAPAN). With the discontinuance of USARPAC, USARJ was designated a major Army command on 1 January 1975, reporting directly to Department of the Army.
In August 1990, USARPAC was reestablished and USARJ became a major subordinate command of that headquarters as well as continuing as the Army Component Command of U.S. Forces, Japan (USFJ). In 1994, IX Corps was replaced by
9th Theater Army Area Command and on 8 November 1999, was redesignated 9th Theater Support Command (TSC). There were several minor reorganizations and redesignations over the next decade so that by 11 September 2001, USARJ consisted of logistics bases in Japan and Okinawa.
In September 2007, the 9th TSC was inactivated and on 19 December 2007,
I Corps (Forward) was activated in Japan in line with the Army's transformation efforts. USARJ remains headquartered at Camp Zama, where it engages in numerous bilateral activities with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) and performs duties as
United States Forces Japan
is a subordinate unified command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). It was activated at Fuchū Air Station in Tokyo, Japan, on 1 July 1957 to replace the Far East Command. USFJ is commanded by the Commander, US Forces ...
's Army Component Command.
Command of the
78th Signal Battalion remained with the Hawaii-based
516th Signal Brigade
The 516th Signal Brigade (Tactical Theater Signal Brigade) is a Forward operating base, forward based major subordinate operations and maintenance command of the 311th Signal Command(Theater). The Brigade supports the United States Army Pacific (US ...
(formerly 1106th) and operational control remains with the commander, USARJ/9th TAAC and since December 19, 2007, USARJ/I Corps (Forward).
On 11 March 2011, a devastating magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami struck the northeast coast of Japan. Within minutes, USARJ began humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in support of the JGSDF during Operation Tomodachi, Japan's largest-ever bilateral operation. USARJ supported the affected people after operations officially ended by providing equipment and maintenance support to the JGSDF until September.
Notes
External links
United States Army, Japan
{{Authority control
1957 establishments in Japan
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
Japan
Military units and formations established in 1957