374th FSS Hosts Embassy Outreach

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Matthew Gilmore
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  The trip downtown to visit the United States Embassy in Tokyo, Japan is not a quick one. Whether by train or car, the fare for a family or the tolls in route can add up especially quickly for anyone venturing into the city to handle their official documentation needs.

In an effort to spare the members of Team Yokota that trek, the members of the 374th Fore Support Squadron were able to work with the embassy to organize the U.S. Embassy Tokyo Outreach event at Yokota Air Base, Japan, May 22, 2019.

“We wanted to find a way to bring the embassy and their services to the base populace even if it was just for a day every few months,” said Mie Tsukioka, 374th FSS Passport and Visa specialist. “We know how much of a hassle it all can be and in working with the staff from the embassy who graciously came here, we were able to help provide a wide array of services while eliminating a lot of hassle for Yokota’s families.”

With embassy staff providing Passport, Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), Immigrant Visa, name change, and Social Security services throughout the morning, the members of Team Yokota showed up in the hundreds to make use of the opportunity.

“We came in today to file my son’s passport application,” said Master Sgt. Sean Gilmore, 374th Airlift Wing Safety bird/wildlife aircraft strike hazard manager. “It’s not always easy to find the time between his school schedule and work to get into Tokyo during the week. This outreach event made it possible for him to get back to school and for me to get back to the mission.”

It is that convenience and time saved that has the 374th FSS committed to organizing future Embassy outreach events throughout the year.

“With the help of the embassy and our volunteers we were able to bring consular services to everyone at Team Yokota,” said Tsukioka. “While the next outreach event is not yet scheduled, we will be advertising future outreach events as they are planned and we look forward to seeing you there!”