Subject: Joint Standing Operating Procedure for Determining Sea State and Acceptable Conditions for Recreational Water Activities on Okinawa

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1 OKINAWA AREA COORDINATOR UNITED STATES FORCES, JAPAN FPO AP From: Okinawa Area Coordinator 5 May 2015 Subject: Joint Standing Operating Procedure for Determining Sea State and Acceptable Conditions for Reference: USFJ Instruction , Commander, U.S. Forces, Japan Coordination Policy and Command Relationships, 6 June Purpose. This Joint Standing Operating Procedures (JSOP) publishes open water recreation policy and information to preserve military readiness and promote public safety. The JSOP may also inform military component commanders when planning military training. 2. Concurrence/applicability. In accordance with USFJ Instruction , the USFJ J09/Okinawa Area Field Office (OAFO), U.S. Forces, Japan (USFJ) ensured coordination and concurrence among Okinawa Area Coordinating Committee (OACC) members of this JSOP as a matter of inter-service interest on Okinawa. All OACC members concurred with the JSOP and it is applicable to all U.S. military components on Okinawa. 3. Mission. Establish uniform open water recreation policy and inform Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) status members of the United States armed forces, members of the civilian component, and their dependents (collectively, SOFA-status personnel ) when weather conditions cause dangerous seas and surf states along Okinawa s coastlines and surrounding islands. 4. Situation. a. Drowning is one of the greatest threats to SOFA-status personnel in Okinawa. Okinawa coastal sea conditions frequently vary with weather conditions, including wind speed, surf, tidal changes, topography, and rip currents (i.e., strong channels of water flowing outward from the shore, typically through the surf line). b. The Okinawa coastline has two sector locations, the eastern sector (Hamahiga, Henza, Ikei, Komaka, Kudaka, Miyagi, O-jima, and Tsuken) and the western sector (Aguni, Iheya, Ie Shima, Izena, Keramas, Kouri, Kume, and Senaga). 5. Concept of Operations. a. The sea conditions warning system shall publish coastal sea conditions for each sector location. The Weather Flight, 18th Operations Support Squadron, Kadena Air Base, establishes coastal sea conditions and issues warnings of dangerous coastal sea conditions via military component command, social media, the American Forces Network, and the Kadena Weather website.

2 (1) The Weather Flight establishes coastal sea conditions using the criteria in section 5.a.(3)(b)1 thru 3 of this document, and waterfront Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) staff observations. (2) The Weather Flight designates and continuously validates authorized personnel to establish coastal sea conditions. (3) Sea conditions warning system definitions and criteria. (a) Sea Condition Definitions. activities. 1 Sea Condition All Clear (SC-AC). Sea conditions are ideal for water related 2 Sea Condition Caution (SC-C). Hazardous conditions exist. Exercise caution when entering the water. 3 Sea Condition Danger (SC-D). Life threatening conditions exist. Personnel may enter the water during Sea Condition Danger under the following circumstances: a Recreational daytime swimming in designated swim areas on and off military installations when staffed by lifeguards and open for public use. b Professionally monitored athletic competitions staffed with trained rescue personnel (e.g. Dragon boat races, triathlons, open ocean swims). c Aboard Okuma when the Okuma Commander/Deputy Commander determines allowable water activities. water activities. d Aboard Torii Station when the Garrison Commander determines allowable e Aboard White Beach when the Commander Fleet Activities Okinawa determines allowable water activities. f Professionally monitored water activities supervised by qualified officials of that activity (e.g. deep sea fishing, SCUBA diving). (b) Sea Condition Criteria. 1 Sea Condition All Clear (SC-AC). Wind speeds have been reported at less than 18 MPH (16 knots). Locally assessed conditions are suitable for novice water enthusiasts intending to participate in the location s primary water activities. 2

3 2 Sea Condition Caution (SC-C). Wind speeds of 18 MPH (16 knots) or greater, including gusts, have been observed for at least 3 hours. Locally assessed conditions warrant that individuals participating in water activities have extensive experience both in the planned activity and at the location. 3 Sea Condition Danger (SC-D). Wind speeds of 35 MPH (30 knots) or greater, including gusts, have been observed and are to persist for at least 3 hours or during Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 2 (TCCOR 2). Locally assessed conditions are dangerous and warrant restricting access to the water and removal of individuals from the water. Military facilities will cease rental of water recreation equipment in SC-D. Swimming activities may continue at the discretion of Commanders or delegated authority as set forth in section 4.a.(3). Personnel should stay clear of shoreline/seawalls whenever possible. b. Before entering open water, SOFA-status personnel must understand the applicable coastal sea condition and individually assess any site-specific water safety hazards. Because forecasting specific conditions for all Okinawa and surrounding island coastal areas is impractical, the sea conditions warning system publishes a general sea condition assessment for each sector location. The sea condition assessment may be inconsistent with site-specific weather and an associated sea condition within a sector. It is highly recommended SOFA-status personnel become educated on local waterfront conditions prior to conducting water activities. A good source of information which provides a number of water safety tools is Personnel can access all information using a smartphone. Users can also save the link to their home screen like an application. c. The military components on Okinawa will establish a joint services water safety working group. (1) Working group membership will represent military component weather, safety, and water recreation functions and comprise of the following billets: (a) 18th Wing Chief of Safety or designated representative. (b) Director, 18th Force Support Squadron Kadena Marina. (c) Commander, Okuma Military Recreation Facility or designated representative. (d) Commander, 18th Weather Flight or designated representative. (e) Harbor Master, 18th Force Support Squadron Kadena Marina. (f) Aquatics Director, 18th Force Support Squadron. (g) Safety Director, Marine Corps Installations Pacific or designated representative. 3

4 (h) Safety Director, III Marine Expeditionary Force or designated representative. (i) Safety Manager, Marine Corps Community Services. (j) Aquatics Program Manager, Marine Corps Community Services. (k) Tsunami SCUBA Program Manager, Marine Corps Community Services. (l) Safety Manager, U. S. Army Garrison Okinawa or designated representative. Okinawa. Okinawa. Okinawa. (m) Recreation Director, Morale, Welfare and Recreation, U. S. Army Garrison (n) Aquatics Director, Morale, Welfare and Recreation, U. S. Army Garrison (o) Dive Locker Manager, Morale, Welfare and Recreation, U. S. Army Garrison (p) Safety Manager, Commander Fleet Activities Okinawa or designated representative. (q) Chief, J09/Okinawa Area Field Office (OAFO), U.S. Forces, Japan (USFJ). (2) The working group shall meet at least annually to review the sea conditions warning system process, discuss open water safety and force preservation strategies, and make uniform open water recreation policy recommendations to the OACC. (3) Commander, 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, will appoint the working group chair. (4) Minutes of the meetings shall be documented and disseminated to each service component s leadership for review. The 18th Wing safety office shall retain copies of the minutes on file for historical purposes. 6. Execution. a. The Commanding Officer, 18th Operations Support Squadron, will publish coastal sea conditions. b. The Officer-in-Charge, American Forces Network (AFN), will continuously broadcast coastal sea conditions with the following abbreviations: (1) E (East Sector); 4

5 (2) W (West Sector); (3) AC (All Clear); (4) C (Caution); and (5) D (Danger). c. Military component MWR activities will establish procedures to advise personnel and patrons of coastal sea conditions and hazardous dive sites. MWR activities shall advise patrons renting water sports equipment to exercise caution and maintain vigilance at all times in the water during sea conditions, which allow participation in water activities. In addition, they shall advise patrons of other water hazards, including rip currents, hazardous marine life sighted within the last 48 hours, and weather forecasts. d. The military components on Okinawa will establish policies/orders for SOFA members participating in recreational water activities for their active component, including reserve personnel called to active duty, and students actively enrolled in a military service academy. The policies shall include force protection and public safety requirements for MWR activities renting open water recreation equipment. e. The military components will establish command education and training programs necessary to ensure military personnel receive open water recreation safety instruction as soon as practicable after arriving in Okinawa. 5

6 7. The point of contact is the Chief, J09/OAFO, USFJ; DSN John E. Wissler Lieutenant General, U.S. Marine Corps Okinawa Area Coordinator Commanding General III Marine Expeditionary Force Charles L. Hudson Major General, U.S. Marine Corps Commanding General Marine Corps Installations, Pacific Barry R. Cornish Brigadier General, U.S. Air Force Commander, 18th Wing Kadena Air Base Michael D. Michel Captain, U.S. Navy Commander Fleet Activities Okinawa Leon G. Plummer Colonel, U.S. Army Commander 10th Regional Support Group Distribution: Distribution is unlimited. III MEF List I, II MCIPAC List B 18 WG Kadena AB COMFLEACT Okinawa 10th RSG Torii Station AFN Okinawa J09/OAFO, USFJ 6