A Typical Day of an USFJ Employee

Specialistsʼ Positions

Camp Zama One day of total coverage of Mr. Oba, who is active in the Directorate of Public WorksIntroducing one day in the life of an employee who is satisﬁed both at work and at home.

At USFJ workplaces, specialists who have both skill and English proﬁciency support the mission.
Let us listen to three of them about their speciality.

Camp Zama REAL ESTATE BR,
MASTER PLANNING DIVFacility Planning Specialist

Time for work!
Good morning!
At my workplace,Camp Zama, we areallowed to come towork bet ween 7:0 0
and 9:00, depending
on our personal
lifestyle. I start
wo r k i n g a t 7: 0 0. I t
may seem early, but
once you get used toit, it's good for yourhealth without
staying up late andyou can spend yourday more efficiently.

Attending conference
and meeting!
Communication tools including e-mail and social
networking service (SNS) have become convenient,but nothing can be better than having face-to-facemeetings.
In our office, we have specialists in various fields suchas architects, construction managers, and environment
specialists. We have meeting every day to share
information and to make sure we are on the same page.

Q１.At present, what kind of work do you do?

EngineerMr. Oba Atsushi (Hired in March, 1996)

Camp Zama, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
Japan District

Report to supervisor
There is a broad range of issues related toreal estate, and repor ting to mysuper visor is essential. I think it isimpor tant to understand the issues
appropriately and report them accurately
since the U.S. laws and regulations can’t
be applied as they are.
My boss does not speak Japanese, but
she listens to what I explain and always
understands my intentions.

Mr. Kokubu Daisuke

Good work for today!
Leaving workplace!

J a p a n En g i n e e r D i s t r i c t o f f e r s
h i g h - q u a l i t y, p r o f e s s i o n a l a n d
extensive construction andvaluable ser vice in Japan andPa c i f i c a r e a i n p e a c e t i m e a n dwartime as a representative of theDepartment of Defense.

Since I arrive at the officeat 7:00 a.m., I leave theoffice at 3:45 p.m. When I
g e t h o m e, I s p e n d mytime practicing golf,
studying English, having
dinner with my children,an d help in g them withtheir homework.
I think that our workplaceof fers a good work-lifebalance, so please apply
and join us. I look forward
to working with yousomeday.

Regular Wage Model for each
Grade of the Engineer
BWT

1
1
1

Grade Average Monthly Wage (Yen)789378,810
413,118
463,480

Engineering TechnicianYokota Air Base
374 th Civil Engineer Squadron

Mr. Masuda Shoji

Checking the latest information
is my morning routine

Lunch time!
Refresh at the gym!

I w o r k a t t h e U. S . A r my G a r r i s o n J a p a n ,Directorate of Public Works, Master Planning
Division, Real Estate Branch.
Our main job is to acquire, manage and returnr e a l e s t a t e , a n d w e m a n a g e a l l 15 A r m yfacilities in Japan at Camp Zama. I start mymorning by checking my e-mails. E-mails fromthe U.S. headquarters arrive in the middle ofthe night, so I check for the latest informationand instructions the first in the morning.

Most of the U.S. Army's welfare facilities
are open to USFJ employees.
During my lunch time, I go to the fitness
gym or golf range to refresh myself.
In my office, we have a dance club andsome of myco-workers
practice dancing
during lunchtime.

Break Time
Sometimes we have laid-backmeetings with my co-workers
over a cup of cof fee, andexchange ideas with my boss.
M y b o s s a l w ay s b r i n g s u ssome American snacks which I
appreciate it.

Enjoying my time
playing golfand traveling!
Recently I am
ad di c ted to g olf. I
enjoy playing golfwith my co-workers
on weekends.
I also like to travel,a n d I t r ave l a l o twith my family.
Annual leave isgranted 20 days ayear, so not only me
but also other USFJ
employees can gotraveling.

374 t h Ci v il En gin e er Sq uadr o n b uil d s ,maintains and repairs airfield andaccompanying facilities and infrastructuresof Yokota Air Base, which is the hub ofairlift in the Western Pacific area.
Regular Wage Model for each
Grade of the Engineering Specialist
BWT111

Grade Average Monthly Wage (Yen)56
7

325,404
350,253
389,076

Camp FosterDefense Logistics and Supply Agency

General:With dignity and conﬁdence, sustain Real Estate
Operations at a high level through teamwork and effective communication!
US Army Garrison Japan, Directorate of Public Works (DPW) Chief, Real Estate Branch

Ms. Doris E. Travier

I have worked in 4 countries and many different offices throughout my 30 years of government service. Thisis first opportunity for me to work in Japan. This is the best office and the best team that I have had theprivilege to work with.
Mr. Oba is my Deputy, his dedication and hard work contributes to Real Estate Branch ability to maintainhigh standards.
His wealth of knowledge and experience enable him to execute tasks are swiftly and with great detail, whichmakes it possible to meet all requirements.
His positive attitude is not only displayed to me, it is also displayed to his teammate and the customers.
I do believe that his leadership, professional comradeship, enthusiasm, and devotion strengthen flows to thewhole team.

Q2.What is the thing that makes work worth doing?

When the buil ding is built that I have desi gned on the s c reen, I feel s ens e ofaccomplishment beyond description. I’m proud that I am engaged in duties to build andmaintain indispensable facilities and environment for national security amid rapidlychanging global circumstances.

Q3.What kind of certiﬁcate or capacity can be helpful?

Degree in engineering, certification of class-1 or class-2 architect, Kenchiku Setsubishi
or Gijutsushi can be helpful.

Q4.How much of English proﬁciency is needed?
It is necessary to be able to coordinate and negotiate in English.

Q１.At present, what kind of work do you do?

Duties of Engineering Division I belong to cover many different things as they are
involved in construction of new buildings, partial upgrade, renovation and extensive
repair. Though I am an architectural engineer, I am involved in other various areas ofwork. We elaborate the project with electrical, mechanical and civil engineers together.

Q2.What are the good parts of your job?

When a project is finished and I am given a word of appreciation, I feel this work is worth
tackling. In case issues are piling up, I feel as if I were faced with the high mountain, but
as we solve them one by one and finally we reach the top of the mountain, I get thesense of achievement through the experience. This experience is very important forengineers to accomplish the mission onward.

Q3.What resource or skill is needed for work?

Along with general architectural knowledge learned in the classroom, on-the-job
experience is essential.

Q4.How much of English proﬁciency is needed?

Ability to read US standards is needed. Moreover, English proficiency is essential toexplain to the supervisor and the user and to make proceedings or specifications.
Recently, we sometimes hold a telephone conference among several offices, sospeaking ability is also needed.

IT SpecialistrSupervisoMr. Obaʼsmo
frega
MessDesigning facilities such as buildings (office, warehouse and airport facilities), road, port
facilities and water and sewage in US bases all over Japan. We coordinate andnegotiate many different things with the contractor, all military services and the Ministryof Defense from technical point of view regarding opinions of US militar yservicemembers.

Ms. Azuma Natsuko

Defense Logistics and Supply Agency offers supply andmanagement of fuel, material and aid, etc.
Regular Wage Model for each
Grade of the IT Specialist
BWT

1
1
1
1

Grade Average Monthly Wage (Yen)

4
5
6
7

283,844336,219
376,352
387,955

Q１.At present, what kind of work do you do?

I am engaged in various IT-related work such as database system development,programming, maintenance and provision of record and troubleshooting at Management
Information System Section at Base Supply, MCAS Supply Division. I enjoy my work
very much.

Q2.What is the thing that makes work worth doing?

As I develop and improve in-house system so that our fellow workers can work efficiently
and smoothly and am engaged in virtual shopping cart accessible from other office, I
feel sense of accomplishment as those systems are utilized and I can help themfunction. I feel the sense of accomplishment that I have developed what is useful andmakes people happy the real pleasure of this duty.

Q3.What kind of certiﬁcate or capacity can be helpful?

Both English and Japanese communication skills are impor tant so that I would
understand the request of the supervisor and the users and develop a product thatmeets their needs. Programming skill is also essential. I would like to make a progress
step by step with willingness to learn new things so that I can catch up with IT related
work which is always evolving and changing.

Q4.What mood is the workplace like?

Our team has a feeling of hospitality among Japanese employees, US civilians andservicemembers. I appreciate that I can work at the workplace with well-preparedenvironment of all aspects.
* Summary of Survey on Actual Status of Wages of USFJ Employees 2023
* Average monthly wage contains base pay, regional allowance, wide-area transfer allowance, family allowance, commutation allowance and housing allowance.

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A Typical Day of an USFJ Employee

Specialists' Positions

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