A senior official with the U.S. Marine Corps in Okinawa said the U.S. military intends to strengthen cooperation with local authorities to conduct relief operations smoothly in the event of a huge earthquake.
Robert D. Eldridge, deputy assistant chief of staff of government and external affairs for the U.S. Marine Corps at Camp Butler, said in a recent interview that efforts to boost U.S. military cooperation with Japanese authorities have already begun.
U.S. officers attended a disaster meeting hosted by the Shizuoka Prefectural Government last May, together with officials of nine municipalities, including some from Aichi and Mie prefectures, according to Eldridge.