Japan Foundation Los Angeles Lecture Series 19
Operation Tomodachi and Afterwards: A U.S. Marine Corps Perspective

7:00 pm
Thursday, May 15
The Japan Foundation Los Angeles
5700 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90036

**Admission: Free
**RSVP Required: Click here to RSVP
**Street parking is available near JFLA: Clike Here for street parking map (No parking validations provided.)

2011 “Operation Tomodachi” in Tohoku, Japan / Photo by Lance Cpl. Garry J. Welch / US Marine Corps Photo

Immediately after the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami occurred on March 11, 2011, American military forces in Japan began sending supplies, equipment, and personnel to the devastated areas to assist in relief operations known as “Operation Tomodachi.”

The operation took place from March 12 to May 4, 2011, involving 24,000 U.S. service members, 189 aircrafts, and 24 naval ships.

Dr. Robert D. Eldridge was then the deputy assistant chief of staff of the Marine Corps Installations Pacific in Japan, and he was one of the first responders to Northeastern Japan after the devastating 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck the region.

In his lecture, Dr. Eldridge will talk about his experiences and thought process during and after the “Operation Tomodachi” and what we could learn from the disaster.

Dr. Robert D. Eldridge is the Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for G-7, and Political Affairs and Public Diplomacy Officer, Marine Corps Installations Pacific (Okinawa, Japan).

He was a tenured associate professor at the School of International Public Policy, Osaka University (OSIPP) and director, U.S.-Japan Alliance Affairs Division, Center for International Security Studies and Policy in Japan.

His area of research is in Japanese political and diplomatic history, Japanese Security Policy and Disaster Preparedness.


This event is co-sponsored by Japan America Society.